Lost Gold ( leo valdez )
by Lorane Rue
Summary: At sixteen Charlie Vos was somehow one of the most bitter and salty demigod to ever grace the planet. Trough trial and error, she'd changed so much over the past few months she could barely remember why she hated quests so much. Then of course she gets stuck with the three new kids as a babysit. Great. I mean, an autistic bitter demigod with daddy issues? What can go wrong?
1. CHAPTER ONE

**(** CHAPTER ONE **)**  
 **Charlie Aggressively Ignores All Warning Signs**

 **ORGANIZING FILES WAS SURPRISINGLY** going to be the best part of Charlie's day.

The dusty hotel room was cheap that was for sure, the floor's creaked, the beds felt like cement and she'd befriended the mouse family in the wall in the time she'd been here. The desk chair she set on cracked every time she moved, and with Charlie's ADHD? Let's just say she was thankful for her headphones resting on her ears or she'd gone mad a long time ago, she was pretty sure the room next to her already had. She didn't blame them. The desk she was working on was shoved in the corner of the small two person hotel room, a small barely working lamp sat on it and if it wasn't for the light coming of Charlie's exposed arm she wouldn't have been able to read anything.

In some way Charlie was glad the glowing thing seemed to have at least one purpose, although it could be easily replaced by a flashlight or a change of batteries in the old lamp, it was something. Glowing was, unsurprisingly, useless in combat. Anything useless in combat and easily replaced by the mundane task of buying a flashlight weren't that high on Charlie's list of favorite perks of being a god's daughter. Perhaps because that list had nothing on it, but who was she to be her negative self.

Speaking of negative. These documents were worsening her already grumpy mood. Most of them were about attacks from monsters here and there, other's about the gods being their usual egocentric self an almost revealing the entirety of the mystical world ( Apollo, she's talking about Apollo ). Some about people who saw trough the mist helped out of psychiatric hospitals and explained on how no you're not crazy, everything is just very, very terrible. Charlie hated writing out how missions went and she didn't know her mother did it every time.

Her pen scribbled something before she put down her pen and calmly put of her headphones off, casually throwing them on the bed behind her. Then, she promptly slammed her head on the desk.

The jiggling of keys and the noise of the door creaking open made Charlie let out a long defeated groan as if she had to make sure everyone around her knew how frustrated she was. The sound of bags being plopped down onto a bed and the creaky door closing made Charlie let out another long insufferable groan. Someone crouching down and the squeaky noises of mice coming out of their hiding place to nibble on what she was pretty sure smelled like cheese got Charlie to open her mouth and let out a deep long sigh-

"Organizing documents too boring for you?"

Another groan.

"I brought pizza."

Silence. Apart from of course the mouse, whom Charlie had named Timothy Tom the Third, also known as Triple T, running across the floor back into his hiding place.

"Did you also bring Dr. Pepper," Charlie spoke out voice muffled.

"Yep."

"Does the pizza have pepperoni on it?"

"It sure does."

"What about making a mess?"

"Charlie, sweetie, have you seen this place. We could preform a satanic ritual and they wouldn't notice a difference in mess."

Charlie's head shot up from the desk a cheery look on her face at the promise of eating pepperoni pizza, drinking some Dr. Pepper and not having to clean up after herself. "In that case, god bless shady hotels!"

With the speed of light Charlie launched herself onto her mother's bed crabbing out the pizza and a can of Dr Pepper before happily plopping down back onto her own concrete single bed. As Charlie shook the Dr Pepper violently her mother glanced towards the desk with the documents surprisingly neatly piled on it. Charlie's mother, Lauren Vos, hated paperwork more than Charlie did, but _somehow_ , in some magical way, as if she had actual _motivation_ to finish tasks (ridiculous, charlie knows), her mother always got done with them on time.

Reaching into the plastic back Lauren glanced towards her daughter. "How far did you get before you decided to begin your groaning party."

Charlie halted her shaking for a second. "Almost done, I got a headache from trying to read trough the Helhound file looking for the date."

Lauren made a face." Knew I forgot something." She reached into the drawer next to her bed picking up a box shaking it for a second looking at Charlie. "Want something for the pain."

She shook her head. "Nah, I'm good thanks mom." Charlie's shoulder slightly shagged as she glanced back to the files. "I don't get why we got to write down all the missions."

"It's part of the job, you know that."

"I know, I know. It's just, I get we gotta protect mortals and all. We're like the Winchesters of the Guardians and all that stuff, but-" Charlie grimaced. "It's so much _work_. I'm lazy. Can we just like, not do it."

Her mom chuckled lightly. "It's too _learn_ -" Charlie let out another defeated groan before her mom continued, "If something goes wrong now we can make sure it doesn't again, besides in our line of business anything can be connected it's handy to have records no matter how miscellaneous they might seem." She threw a disapproving look as Charlie went back to shaking the Dr Pepper can. "I said you could make a mess, not create a soda explosion."

With slight disappointment Charlie stopped shaking the can. She glanced up at the clock on the wall, she was slightly surprised that it wasn't broken in all honesty she expected-

"Wait."

Charlie's eyes fixated on the clock, a bit past seven in the morning, nothing unusual for Charlie. She always got up with the sun. She glanced down it the dr pepper in one hand and a slice of pepperoni pizza in the other. She glanced up at her mother who was gathering up the documents from the desk. For a second Charlie hesitated, wondering if asking was a better plan than just ignoring her realization. With any other person Charlie would've just dashed out of the room, but she knew her that wouldn't change a thing with her mom.

Against, as she would later realize, better judgment she opened her mouth and asked, "What kind of vile, terrible thing are you about to put me trough."

Her mom didn't eve flinch as she spoke,"You're going to school for today."

Charlie made a mad dash for the door only to realize it was locked.

For a second she considered just breaking the thing down. But before she could raise her hand and obliterate the door that was standing in her way to freedom her mother slyly said, "If you destroy the door you're paying for it."

Goddamn her cheap self.

Charlie's head whipped around to her mother's a look of utter betrayal. "What have I done to deserve this mother?"

Her mother rolled her eyes as Charlie sniffed dramatically. "It's for one day."

"One day of suffering," Charlie muttered under her breath letting go of the door handle after she tried one last time to ruck the door open.

"I've got some business just out of town, old friend of mine-" Charlie opened her mouth. "No you can't come."

"Why not?" Charlie wined sitting down on the concrete mattress.

"It's not a Greek problem," her mother explained. "And you're not ready to deal with anything other yet." A grin broke onto her mother's face. "Besides," she said a bit too cheerily, "I got a call from Gleeson Hedge-"

"Glee? Like that show?"

"Like the satyr," Lauren corrected putting the documents away. "Grover called you Saturday didn't he? You two caught up, but I'm pretty sure he mentioned the guy."

Charlie scratched her head thinking back to the short lived call, before a lamp lighted up inside her head. "The old guy? He told me something about a job the old goat was doing at some Wilderness school." Charlie narrowed her eyes. "I don't like where this is going anymore."

"I talked to Grover a bit after you went to bed. Apparently there's two demigods in the school, they were going to be brought to camp tonight so I suggested you helped Gleeson bring them to camp." Lauren laughed at her daughter's tired groan. "They're the same age as you, Grover and I thought you'd be better at explaining things to them."

Charlie tried to argue that she would be terrible at it, and probably try swinging a bat at them if they started to act annoying. Unfortunately her mother didn't buy it and after shoving a backpack in her arms and shoving her into the car she knew she was doomed.

On the way to what her mother said was in fact Wilderness school she briefly filled Charlie in on everything about the demigods she knew. As it turned out The Wilderness School was a school for problem children so Charlie would be perfectly in her element. It did not brighten her mood though. One of the demigods was named Piper, apparently she stole a car once, Charlie already liked her. The other one a boy named Leo who was send to the school after he kept running away from foster families seemed to be prone to putting things on fire, Charlie also already liked him.

Even though the two demigods didn't seem to be that bad Charlie still wasn't to keen on going to school. Mostly because she felt something was about to go very, very wrong. She of course chose to aggressively ignore that feeling, because everything was going fine. Besides her biggest problem right now should be finding Percy not going to school and pretending everything was sunshine and rainbows.

Percy Jackson, Charlie's best friend since childhood, was missing and she had an odd feeling the real reason her mother send her to do this was so she could think about something else. It wasn't a secret Charlie was worried, when the blonde was worried she tended to do everything to keep herself busy. In the best week she'd finished all the homework she'd 'forgot to do' from the past two weeks, she'd reorganized all the documents on demigods in camp, she'd cleaned the entire Apollo cabin _and_ Hermes cabin (do you have _any_ idea how _filthy_ that place is), she'd willingly tagged along with her mother to do _paperwork_. Paperwork.

In the end though paperwork was a lot better than the mess she was about to be dragged into.

After being set of at the school Charlie considered just running for it then and there, but as she couldn't see anything for a good mile she decided against it and walked inside the school. Her search for the so called Gleeson hedge was shorter than expected she'd asked a teacher passing by who just vaguely pointed towards what looked like gym doors. At first she didn't get it, not soon after she heard a loud yell and the sound of a baseball bat hitting the ground. (Don't ask how she knows that.)

Dashing forwards she slammed open the doors of the gym door just in time to see the baseball missing a student by a slight inch.

Oh, yeah. She going to _love_ this school _so_ much. (Spoiler: she wasn't, that was sarcasm.)

Unfortunately in her mad dash for the door she'd slammed open the doors hard announcing her presence and halting the second swing of the bat.

All eyes turned to her and luckily most people didn't look at her like she had two heads. Charlie figured she fit in pretty well with the other students. She had the trouble look easily down, worn out shoes, jeans with holes (that hadn't been there to begin with), and her camp half-blood shirt held five different stains on it. Her hoodie over her messy hair and worn out leather jacket were surprisingly, kinda, a little, they were less filthy than her shirt. With her headphones dangling around her neck to noise out any adults Charlie looked like the prime example of a problem child.

The coach opened his mouth to yell again before his eyes landed on her shirt, then his eyes shifted to her leather, jacket, hair, and lastly the pizza stain on her pants, then somehow his scowl worsened and he glared at her as if she'd committed high treason. The coach was about Charlie's height, perhaps even a bit taller, he wore a bright orange polo shirt that made Charlie squint her eyes, a pair of nylon pants, and Nikes.

For a second it looked like he was going throw his baseball bat at her, but then her turned around and yelled, "Five rounds! Go!" and turned and walked towards her. Charlie had an odd feeling that might be Gleeson Hedge. There was some complaining by an elf looking boy with pointed ears and hair almost messier than Charlie's, but Hedge waved his baseball bat around shouting something along the lines of "Don't make me use this Valdez!" and the boy, although begrudgingly, started running.

When he finally stood in front of her he glared menacingly before saying, "You."

Anybody else would probably be intimidated, but Charlie who had faced cyclops, hellhounds, titans, and who'd had Annabeth Chase yell at her, just sighed tiredly and said, "Me."

He looked her up and down before raising an eyebrow. " _You're_ Charlie Vos?"

Charlie sighed again moving to lean on her other leg. "I know, I'm short, my hair's a mess, and no, I'm not planning on buying a new jacket." Charlie tapped on of her feet. "Grover- uh, Underwood send me, said tonight you were bringing two demigods to camp. Figured I could help with that."

If possible Hedge looked more annoyed by this situation than Charlie. "So they send you to school to go undercover as a student?"

"You make it sound like this is 22 Jump Street." Charlie shoved her hands in her pocket. "But yeah, pretty much. I figure you've got the, you know-" She gestured to his bat. "Violent department under control, but you've also gotta deal with the whole my parents aren't gods, you're crazy, I'm going crazy. You know the whole 'ordeal'" Charlie glanced behind him to see the students almost done with their laps. "Anyway since I'm a demigod Grover figured they might listen better."

"Listen to what?"

Charlie figured he was asking about the speech she was going to give them, but after a second she just, "I was honestly just thinking of punching them, and using vague threats." The blonde shrugged lightly. "Usually does the trick."

Hedge nodded his head thinking for a bit. "Why not just let me knock them out with my bat."

For a second Charlie considered it, and for the first time since entering the school she grinned a twinkle of excitement in her eyes. "Yeah, no that works for me. I'll help you carry them to camp when you knock them out. Can I knock one out too?"

Part of her was happy the students were running far enough away to not hear they're conversation.

Hedge grinned, seemingly pleased by the green light Charlie gave him, he looked almost proud as he said, "Finally! A demigod after my own heart. The rumors were true huh, as violent as they come." He put his bat on the ground using it as a leaning pole. "Now a days it's a rare sight to find some true warriors, ya know, all of them jump at the sight of a shadow!"

Charlie a little more relaxed to see Hedge seemed to be more of a survival of the fittest than peace maker satyr chuckled a bit. "You know, you'd love Clarissa."

A grin broke out onto his face. "Clarisse La Rue? How is she these days, brought that girl to camp myself, haven't been able to see her in awhile because I'm stuck here." For a second a grimace flashed on his face before he went on, "Violent girl that one, an absolute delight!"

"Yeah, delight," Charlie answered thinking back to the time Clarissa almost ran her trough with a spear. "Anyway about the demigods-"

When the bell rang Charlie and Hedge conversation had ended, they'd quickly discussed the demigods, Hedge had pointed them out to her, muttered something about how he could've easily handled it, but a violent spirit was always appreciated, and he'd gone back to yelling at the teenagers. Charlie'd sat on the bleachers next to a student with a broken arm for the rest of the period. The student, Kyle, was pretty good company. He asked her why she was send to the school so suddenly. She made up something about breaking a teacher's arm, he seemed to believe her.

The students all, but ran for the changing rooms which was impressive for the fact five second ago they all looked like they were ready to die.

Kyle stood up from his place on the bleachers, in their ten minutes of getting to know each other she'd found out the boy was send here because he was prone to stealing things, so before he could really go anywhere Charlie blocked his path holding out her hand. "Wallet." Begrudgingly the guy pulled out Charlie's wallet from his pocket handing it to her before disappearing with his group of friends into the hallway.

"Hey! Vos!"

Charlie's head turned to see Hedge approaching her with two students, she quickly recognized them to be the demigods he'd pointed out. Charlie perked up a sly grin on her face the atmosphere of the school was putting her at ease. "Oh, last name basis huh? Was I that annoying?"

One of the students, the boy Leo if Charlie remembered right laughed lightly. Hedge threw both of them a warning glare and swung his baseball bat lightly as if he was readying to swing it at one of their heads. Even though he could only reach Charlie's and said, "These two volunteered to show you around school." Then he walked away leaving her with the two demigods who's lives she was going to ruin in about 5 hours.

The girl, Piper, was pretty, like _really_ pretty. She seemed to try and cover it up though. Her chocolate colored hair was cut choppy and uneven, and although not as messy as Charlie's, she was pretty close, thin strands seemed to have been braided in them and, unfortunately, it made her look even prettier in Charlie's opinion. She wore simple, tomboy-ish clothing, faded jeans, snowboarding jacket, and some hiking boots. Although she wore no make-up and seemed to have a pimple on her nose, she still looked stunning. _Especially_ her eyes, which seemed to be changing colors.

Charlie could've introduced her in a lot of ways, she looked like she was part of a gang, and her natural expression made her look like she was about to commit a mass felony. But with Charlie's luck she took one look at Piper, gasped, and said in the tone of a freshmen who'd just seen his first boob, "Wow."

Thankfully Piper seemed to appreciate it as she let out a small laugh at Charlie's reaction, both her and the boy Leo seemed to visually calm down a bit. Piper stuck out her hand with a smile. "I'm Piper McLean." She jerked her head to the boy behind her. "The elf looking one is Leo Valdez."

"Charlie." She took the girl's hand with a grin. "Charlie Vos."

Looking back on it? She should've made up a name.

Leo and Piper had shown Charlie around the school after gym class, and Charlie had to admit she really liked the two, it almost made her sorry about the fact she was going to make their lives even worse. Leo, to Charlie's absolute delight, seemed to love her jokes unlike Piper who, for some weird reason, didn't find them funny. Leo was, of course, taller than Charlie, but not by much. In Charlie's book five inches isn't much. His face seemed to be covered in oil at all times, and his elf ears were kind of cute. During lunch the two of them had Piper vote on who's hair was messier, Charlie of course won, but she gave Leo props for trying.

The day was actually going quite well, sure being in school was terrible, but with the company of Leo and Piper it wasn't as bad as Charlie would've thought. Leo's jokes almost even made her forget about Percy for a second, which given her situation, she yet again gave him props for trying. Piper was as cynical and hilarious as Charlie had expected, the brown haired girl had made fun of her height in such an original and creative way Charlie wasn't even mad about. Lunch of course was terrible and Charlie almost puked when the food met her tongue.

"Picky eater?" Piper asked pointing her fork at the carrots Charlie'd spat out.

Charlie blushed lightly. "Uh, kind of?"

The two gave her a curious look and the blonde scratched the back of her head. For a second she considered not telling them and just brushing it of as being a picky eater like Piper suggested. It's not like she was ashamed of it, but she didn't want to explain it all to them. Okay, maybe she was kind of scared of their reaction. Oh, right you don't know what she's talking about either do you? I mean you might've seen the hints dropped, but it's unlikely.

"It's just," Charlie started trying to find the right words, the two looked at her curiously. She gave them a shy smile. "I'm autistic, I don't do good with food textures that are-" Charlie frowned for a second trying to find the right word. " _Wrong_."

She looked at the two expecting the usual confused expressions and comments of 'you don't look autistic' and 'i never would've thought you were-

"I told you they were noise cancelling headphones," Leo said triumphantly to Piper.

Charlie almost choked on her own spit.

Piper slammed her fork down. "You don't know that for sure!"

They both looked at her. Charlie's eyes darted around in confusion, she glanced at the two before saying, "Uh, yeah they're noise cancelling." She tapped on the left ear of the headphones that was half covering her ear so she could still hear them while the end covered her right ear completely. "Leo's right, it's why I'm not putting it on my left ear."

"Ha, ha!" the boy yelled in triumph.

Piper sighed in defeat before seeing Charlie's expression. She gave the blonde a smile. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" Charlie yelped. "It's just you know-" She tapped her hands on the table nervously. "It's just I expected, you know, a different- uh-"

"Reaction," Piper finished with a smile, she rapped her arm around Leo who was seated next to her. "Don't worry about it, both Leo and have ADHD, it has a lot of things in common with autism right?" She threw a soft smile. "My dad had me tested for autism when I was little, turned out I wasn't on the spectrum, but I learned a lot about it because of it."

Leo smiled at her as well. "I had a buddy once who was autistic, made him earplugs that cancel out background noise."

Charlie's head wiped towards Leo as her hands slammed on the table. "You can make those!?"

The day was going great, if not perfect, and for what seemed like a good 15 minutes Charlie forgot about demigods, monsters, and titans, and laughed along with the first people in a long time that made her feel at ease as much as Percy did. Piper gave Charlie some of her break which she happily chewed down, so in the end the food problem was easily solved. her and Leo discussed the earplugs he mentioned, she'd been saving to buy some, but he seemed more than happy to make some for her.

Maybe this whole school thing wasn't as bad as she thought it would've been.

"We're going on a what?"

"School trip, this afternoon, to the Grand Canyon."

Never mind! Everything's still terrible.

"We're going on a- on a?" Charlie looked up at the ceiling glaring "You little-" She turned to look back down at the satyr. "We're going on a _what_ , to _where_ now?!"

After she, Leo and Piper were done with eating Hedge had abruptly dragged her with her to discuss some things. He'd yet again reminded her he needed no help whatsoever keeping monsters at bay, and the only reason he wasn't kicking her out was because he appreciated someone with her personality (violence, that is) and he seemed to have noticed Leo and Piper had easily warmed up to her. Much to, of course, her displeasure as ruining the lives of nice people was a lot less fun than ruining it of people who pissed her of.

Unfortunately as he was about to leave, he told her to tag along towards the bus, and that's where everything just went from great to terribly, terribly wrong.

The bus was crowded, loud, dirty, stupid, and Charlie hated it. She was perhaps a little bit grumpy about the whole school trip ordeal. It might be her experiences with school trips, but easily they went wrong, and when demigods were involved they went very, very wrong. This should be fun for everyone, but Charlie.

In the beginning it didn't seem that bad, Leo and Piper had noticed Charlie's grumpiness and Piper suggested she sat alone for the rit so Leo and Charlie could exchange puns. Bless her heart. Charlie'd put on her headphones half-way trough the ride because of the noise, and started playing a game of charades with Leo and Piper. Piper won. During the ride Leo seemed to be messing with some things he pulled from his pockets when Charlie eventually asked he showed what looked like the start of a small plane.

Son of Hephaestus for sure.

They were almost there when Charlie realized she might've been overreacting. Granted, it was her thing, but she slightly laughed with herself for being so dramatic. Don't get her wrong, something was going to go wrong, for sure, but at least the trip to everything going wrong was turning out to be fun.

She should've kept her mouth shut.

One moment she was talking to Leo about how she could definitely win a fist fight with a gorilla. The next she turned her head to get Piper's opinion in only to see a blond guy she'd never seen before in her life just, just _sitting_ there.

She stared at him long and hard, it looked like he was getting kind of nervous about the stare.

Then, she launched at him.

No, don't worry just messing with you, she didn't attack him. Although she would've wished she had just thrown the guy out of the window of the moving bus, but nothing she can do about that now.

Charlie's eyes met those of the stranger. Electric blue eyes that reminded her of the eyes of Thalia Grace, one of the hunters of Artemis, and Charlie's ex-girlfriend. We'll get to that later. He wore a purple shirt with the bold letters SPQR on them that made Charlie's right eye twitch for some reason. He looked like a brave soldier, a hero, who would gladly give his life to save those in need, or if need it be live out his life humbly after his heroic deeds with his dear wife and five children all of whom he'd tell stories about his travels and accomplishments to.

In short the type of guy who was without fail going to make Charlie's live ten times more difficult.

Promptly she turned around and slammed her head against the seat in front of her and let out a tired groan. "Just one normal day. That's all I ask, but _no_."

And that, is where this story _really_ starts, or you know when things start going downhill really, _really_ fast.


	2. CHAPTER TWO

**(** CHAPTER TWO **)**  
 **Dodges All Heroic Chances, Parkour.**

 **THE NEXT HOUR WAS GOING TO BE** one of the worst hours in Charlie's life since the fatal duck accident of 2007. Long story. The boy with the purple shirt had appeared out of nowhere. Just, POOF, and there he was. Already annoying Charlie. Great. He looked confused, and also slightly nervous by the death glare Charlie was throwing at him. The worst part though? Leo and Piper were acting like he'd been there the entire time. Because of course she had to be the only one suffering.

When he seemed to be released from his sudden moment of confusion he pulled away from Piper.

Piper tried to squeeze his hand. "Jason, are you okay?"

Jason. Even his name was annoying.

Jason pulled back his hand seeming to be more confused by the second. "Um, I don't—"

Before Charlie could start yelling at him, Hedge yelled from the front of the bus. " All right, cupcakes, listen up!"

When he stood up one of the students, which Charlie realized quickly was the boy Kyle she'd spent gym class talking with, yelled, "Stand up coach Hedge!"

If she hadn't been so annoyed by Jason's appearance she would've laughed along with the other students. "I heard that!" The coach scanned the bus for the genius.

His eyes fixed on Jason, and somehow, his scowl deepened. His eyes landed on Charlie and he raised his eyebrow while nodding his head to Jason like he was asking 'You know this punk?'. Charlie shrugged with her own scowl. She pointed to Jason behind her and then made an almost poof like movement with her hands. Hedge seemed to get she was as in the dark, and as annoyed by his appearance than he was.

After their silent conversation of shared annoyance Hedge looked away and cleared his throat. "We'll arrive in five minutes! Stay with your partner. Don't lose your worksheet. And if any of you precious little cupcakes causes any trouble on this trip, I will personally send you back to campus the hard way."

He picked up a baseball bat and made like he was hitting a homer.

For a second Charlie considered just pushing someone of the side of the Grand Canyon so she didn't have to deal with this.

From behind her Jason asked, "Can he talk to us that way?"

She shrugged. "Always does. This is the Wilderness School. 'Where kids are the animals.'"

She made it sound like it was a joke the two of them shared.

"This is some kind of mistake," Jason said. "I'm not supposed to be here."

He's self-aware, Charlie thought bitterly.

Leo laughed at Jason's comment, turning around to face him. "Yeah, right, Jason. We've all been framed! I didn't run away six times. Charlie didn't break her teacher's arm. Piper didn't steal a BMW."

Charlie chucked lightly turning to Piper. " _You_ stole a BMW?"

Piper blushed lightly as she looked at Leo. "I didn't steal that car, Leo!"

"Oh, I forgot, Piper. What was your story? You 'talked' the dealer into lending it to you?" He raised his eyebrows at Jason like, Can you believe her?

Charlie perked up completely. "I can't believe you stole a car."

"That's because I didn't!" Piper repeated, she blushed even harder. "He just, you know, gave it to me."

Charlie's hands landed on the back of her chair in excitement. "You _convinced_ someone to give you a car? That's even better!"

"Anyway," Leo said, "I hope you've got your worksheet, 'cause I used mine for spit wads days ago. Why are you looking at me like that? Somebody draw on my face again?"

Jason blinked. "I don't know you."

Leo's grin widened. "Sure, I'm not your best friend, I'm his evil clone."

Charlie's good mood depleted again. Mysterious annoyance appears out of nowhere, doesn't know anyone, and somehow everyone is convinced they know him. This was the work of the Mist, no doubt about it. Whoever did it though, mustn't have cared much about the details of Charlie and coach Hedge. Either it was some amateur work Charlie would've easy been able to see trough, or it was some quick work that needed to stay on the down low. Either way Charlie would've liked to have amnesia as well at this point.

She heard Coach Hedge yell from the front. "Leo Valdez! Problem back there?"

Leo must've noticed Charlie's grumpy mood because after throwing a grin to Jason he gave her a wink. "Watch this, you'll love it." He turned to the front and Charlie followed his gaze curious as to what he was planning. "Sorry, Coach! I was having trouble hearing you. Could you use your megaphone, please?"

Coach Hedge grunted like he was pleased to have an excuse. He unclipped the megaphone from his belt and continued giving directions, but his voice came out like Darth Vader's. The kids cracked up. The coach tried again, but this time the megaphone blared: "The cow says moo!"

Even trough everything that was happening Charlie couldn't help, but burst out laughing.

The kids howled, and the coach slammed down the megaphone. "Valdez!"

Piper stifled a laugh. "My god, Leo. How did you do that?"

Leo slipped a tiny Phillips head screwdriver from his sleeve. "I'm a special boy."

Charlie tried to stifle her laughing. "That's what you needed me to distract him for?"

"Guys, seriously," Jason pleaded. "What am I doing here? Where are we going?"

Piper knit her eyebrows. "Jason, are you joking?"

"Aw, yeah, he's joking," Leo said. "He's trying to get me back for that shaving cream on the Jell-O thing, aren't you?"

"No, I think they're serious," Piper said as she tried taking Jason's hand again, but he pulled away from her. A flicker of hurt crossed her eyes and Charlie frowned lightly. The Mist must've made her think her and Jason were a couple.

He turned to Charlie as if she was his last hope. "What about you? You've been glaring at me since I got here-"

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Leo interrupted. "One moment we're debating gorilla arm wrestling and the next you look ready to launch at Jason. I mean I know you don't like him that much, but still."

"Do you know me?" Jason asked.

Jason looked at her with a hopeful look in his eyes. For a second she felt guilty. The next she realized she didn't care. "Yeah, you've been her the whole time, dude." She said forced down her guilt and tried to sound concerned. "Are you sure you're okay? Hedge hit you with his bat or something?"

The look on his face almost made her want to apologize. Piper tried to reach out to him again, but he pulled back."I'm sorry," he said. "I don't—I can't—"

"That's it!" Coach Hedge yelled from the front his face red. "The back row has just volunteered to clean up after lunch!"

The rest of the kids cheered.

"There's a shocker," Leo muttered.

But Piper kept her eyes on Jason, like she couldn't decide whether to be hurt or worried. "Did you hit your head or something? You really don't know who we are?"

Jason shrugged helplessly. "It's worse than that. I don't know who _I_ am."

It got worse. Somehow, it got worse. How did it get worse? This wasn't even going to be the worst part.

The bus dropped them of in front of a big red stucco complex like a museum, just sitting in the middle of nowhere. Of course, with Charlie's luck the museum is in the middle of nowhere. This day was starting to build up to be a horror movie, and as the token blonde girl, Charlie was certain to be the first to die. That was just a fact. Charlie felt the cold wind easily breezing trough her thin shirt, she zipped up her hoodie trying to warm herself up.

"You cold?" The teasing tone of Leo snapped her out of her thoughts about how she was going to make Jason's murder look like an accident.

"No," Charlie lied rubbing her shoulders aggressively. "In fact I have never, in my life, been more wa-" She shuddered as another breeze blew her hair backwards. "Okay, fine. I'm _cold_."

Leo chuckled before he passed her his sleeveless puffy jacket. She was about to ask him if he wasn't going to be cold, but when another breeze hit them and Leo didn't even flinch she snatched the jacket out of his hands muttering a thanks, and put it onto her leather one.

She snorted at the sight of the puffy sleeveless jacket on her leather one. She popped her collar. "Fashion." She laughed along with Leo as Piper and Jason finally caught up to the two. "Thanks, Valdez."

"So, a crash course for the amnesiac," Leo said

Charlie grinned. "Oh, that is so not the tone of helpfulness."

"We go to the 'Wilderness School'"—Leo made air quotes with his fingers. "Which means we're 'bad kids.' Your family, or the court, or whoever, decided you were too much trouble, so they shipped you off to this lovely prison—sorry, 'boarding school'—in Armpit, Nevada, where you learn valuable nature skills like running ten miles a day through the cacti and weaving daisies into hats! And for a special treat we go on 'educational' field trips with Coach Hedge, who keeps order with a baseball bat. Charlie over here," he started throwing his arm over her shoulder. "Got here today, she punched you during lunch."

Charlie snorted, at least Mist her got to have some fun.

Leo pulled back his arm looking at Jason. "Is it all coming back to you now?"

"No," Jason answered.

Charlie's mouth twitched upwards itching closer towards Jason like a small house cat sneaking towards it's next meal. "Maybe if I punch you it'll help."

Piper smacked her upside down the head, Leo let out a loud laugh, and Jason itched away from her.

When Leo stopped laughing he said, "You're really gonna play this out, huh? Okay, so the three of us started here together this semester. We're totally tight. Charlie, as I said, got here today, and she hates you."

"Whoever did this is good," Charlie muttered silent enough for no one to hear her.

Leo continued, "You do everything I say and give me your dessert and do my chores—"

"Leo!" Piper snapped.

"Fine. Ignore that last part. But we are friends. Well, Piper's a little more than your friend, the last few weeks—"

"Leo, stop it!" Piper's face turned red.

Charlie perked up smiling at Piper. "Oh, really?"

Piper threw her a glare. "You don't start." Her expression turned to worry. "He's got amnesia or something," Piper said. "We've got to tell somebody."

Leo scoffed. "Who, Coach Hedge? He'd try to fix Jason by whacking him upside the head."

Charlie shoved her hands in the pockets of Leo's jacket pulling out what looked like building parts. "Can I do the whacking?"

"No," Piper answered. Charlie pouted, but Piper ignored her and went on. "Leo, Jason needs help," Piper insisted. "He's got a concussion or—"

"Yo, Piper." One of the other guys dropped back to join them as the group was heading into the museum. The new guy wedged himself between Jason and Piper and almost knocked down Leo if Charlie hadn't grabbed onto his arm in time. "Don't talk to these bottom-feeders. You're my partner, remember?"

Charlie gave a silent scoff as she helped Leo steady himself, she looked at the guy and hated him immediately. He carried himself as if he was God's gift to mankind, which _sure,_ Charlie was guilty of doing at times, but this guy was taking it up a notch, in Charlie's opinion way to many. With a superman haircut, a deep tan and teeth so white they could probably blind someone, Charlie thought if he had blonde hair he might have resembled someone she knew, and also hated.

"Go away, Dylan," Piper grumbled. "I didn't ask to work with you."

"Ah, that's no way to be. This is your lucky day!" Dylan hooked his arm through hers and dragged her through the museum entrance. She threw them one last look like, 911.

Charlie scowled, pulled up her sleeves and balled her fist. She'd seen the guy Dylan in school slamming someone's head into their lunch, and if it hadn't been for Hedge threateningly swinging his bat around she'd charged at him then and there. Now however, with coach no where in sight, she wasn't going to let some wannabe jock get away with bothering her new friends. She'd dealt with a lot of bullies in her life, non stupid enough to come at her, but stupid enough to think they could go around acting high and mighty when she was around. Call it some compensation for the fact she couldn't go at it with the gods or whatever, but Charlie hated guys like Dylan, and she wanted nothing less than to pummel their ego into the ground.

She was about to charge at him when Leo grabbed onto her shoulders and pulled her back. "Let me at him, Valdez."

"Don't get me wrong," Leo started rapping his arm around her shoulder, "I've only known you for a day, but well first of all Dylan's twice your size and coach Hedge is itching to whack you upside down the head." He pointed at Hedge who was glaring at her readying his bat, probably aware a demigod like her could easily break a students arm if she wanted to.

Annoyed, Charlie threw a glare at Hedge back before grabbing Leo's hand removing it from over her shoulder and twisting his arm, not enough to hurt him, but enough to make a point, and abruptly let him go so he almost fell in surprise. "Don't tell me what to do."

Leo scrambled up looking at her as if she'd just successfully pulled the bottom piece of one of those jenga towers without it falling down. "You are a terrifying woman," he whispered massaging his shoulder. "Never mind you could definitely take him."

"Thank you," Charlie said. "Also, sorry."

"Don't worry," Leo stood between Jason and Charlie. "I hate that guy though." He offered both Jason and Charlie his arms, like they should go in skipping together. "'I'm Dylan. I'm so cool, I want to date myself, but I can't figure out how! You want to date me instead? You're so lucky!'"

"Imagine being to most cool person around," Charlie started taking Leo's arm lowering her voice, "not that you would know because it's me, but can you imagine!"

"Leo, Charlie," Jason said, "you're both weird."

"Yeah, you tell me that a lot." Leo grinned. "But if you don't remember me, that means I can reuse all my old jokes. Come on!"

"Wait, hold that thought," Charlie told the two boys, they both turned to her. "If Jason doesn't remember me, can I reuse all my puns I used during lunch?"

Leo grinned. "Yes."

Charlie threw her fist in the air. At least this disaster had one perk to it. Jason looked as if he regretted being alone with Charlie and Leo but he followed both of them inside the museum.

They walked trough the building, stopping here and there for Coach Hedge to lecture them with his megaphone which alternately made him sound like a Sith Lord or blared out random comments like "The pig says oink." And glared at Charlie every time she snickered.

Leo kept pulling out nuts, bolts, and pipe cleaners from the pockets of his army jacket and putting them together, like he had to keep his hands busy at all times. The jacket seemed to be thin, which must've been why he had been wearing the puffy sleeveless one over it he'd passed to Charlie, yet he didn't seem to be freezing at all. Once in a while he'd ask her to pass a specific nut or bolt that was still in the other jacket.

"You got a hex bolt, it's the one-"

"Complete or half?" Charlie asked picking the ones out from the pile of bolts shed fished out.

Leo looked up at her almost in astonishment. "Complete."

She fished the one out he needed and shoved the rest back in the pockets. "Here." She passed it to him put he still looked at her in surprise. "Used to have a job fixing cars and furniture."

Leo nodded looking slightly intrigued, but went back on building the thing in his hands. She focused back on what was happening around her as she heard a girl speak up. The girls looked to be a group, they were snickering at Piper and Dylan who stood next to her. She guessed they might have been with the popular crowd for the fact they wore pink tops and too much make-up in Charlie's in opinion.

One of them said, "Hey, Piper, does your tribe run this place? Do you get in free if you do a rain dance?"

And she officially didn't like them.

The other girls laughed. Even Dylan seemed to be trying to suppress a smile. Piper's snowboarding jacket sleeves hid her hands, but Charlie didn't need to guess she was making a fist. She felt a scowl come on her face as she looked at the group of girls her own fist tightening.

"My dad's Cherokee," she said. "Not Hualapai. 'Course, you'd need a few brain cells to know the difference, Isabel."

Charlie snorted and Isabel's eyes widened in mock surprise looking like an owl with a makeup addiction."Oh, sorry! Was your mom in this tribe? Oh, that's right. You never knew your mom."

Charlie was ready to charge, but Leo pulled her back against his chest. Piper charged her, but before a fight could start, Coach Hedge barked, "Enough back there! Set a good example or I'll break out my baseball bat!"

The group shuffled on to the next exhibit, but the girls kept calling out little comments to Piper and Charlie was ready to push them of a building.

"Good to be back on the rez?" one asked in a sweet voice.

"Dad's probably too drunk to work," another said with fake sympathy. "That's why she turned klepto."

The group shuffled on to the next exhibit, but the girls kept calling out little comments to Piper. If it hadn't been for both Jason and Leo holding her back by both arms, and the threatening swings Hedge did every time his eyes landed on her.

"Good to be back on the rez?" one asked in a sweet voice.

"Dad's probably too drunk to work," another said with fake sympathy. "That's why she turned klepto."

Charlie tried to run forward, but Jason and Leo pulled her back again. She'd only known Piper for a day, but the girl's were so annoying Charlie didn't know why Hedge hadn't taken the opportunity to whack them upside down the head. Jason probably thought the same as he showed as much anger as her, he'd probably already marched over to them if he wasn't too busy holding Charlie back with Leo.

Leo seemed to take Jason's anger in account too realizing reasoning might work with him. More importantly if Jason let go of Charlie, Leo wouldn't be able to hold her back. "Be cool. Piper doesn't like us fighting her battles. Besides, if those girls found out the truth about her dad, they'd be all bowing down to her and screaming, 'We're not worthy!'"

Charlie frowned slightly, her anger lightened a little making place for curiosity as Leo let go of her arm slowly, but still making sure she wouldn't charge at the girls. She shared a look with Jason who seemed equally confused.

"Why? What about her dad?" he asked.

Leo laughed in disbelief. "You're not kidding? You really don't remember that your girlfriend's dad—"

"Look, I wish I did, but I don't even remember her, much less her dad."

Leo whistled. "Whatever. We _have_ to talk when we get back to the dorm."

They reached the far end of the exhibit hall, where some big glass doors led out to a terrace.

"All right, cupcakes," Coach Hedge announced. "You are about to see the Grand Canyon. Try not to break it. The skywalk can hold the weight of seventy jumbo jets, so you featherweights should be safe out there. If possible, try to avoid pushing each other over the edge, as that would cause me extra paperwork."

Hedge opened up the doors, and they all stepped outside onto the platform. In all honesty Charlie'd been the to Grand Canyon ones already, but that was for demigod business, and of course at the bottom of the Canyon fighting of a horde of Hellhounds which if she looked back on it was about a hundred times less scary than the act of standing where she was right now. They were up so high. Charlie felt if she looked down she'd puke on someone. Was this the height bird's flew at? If this thing gave out how long would it take to hit the ground? Was this thing going to give out? Oh, god, it was going to give out under her own feet wasn't it. This is it, how she dies, she's never-

"Charlie, breaking my hand!" Leo yelped from beside her.

Snapped out of her trance of doom scenarios she realized she'd grabbed for the closest thing to her and tried to crush it. Unfortunately it'd been Leo's hand. "Ah, sorry, sorry," Charlie pulled her hand back. "I just- I'm not- _Heights_."

"For someone so short you are _very_ strong," Leo noted rubbing his hand, he looked to be fighting a smile.

Charlie shrugged a smile playing on her lips. She glanced behind her to see Kyle waiting for her waving a sheet around in her direction. She faintly remembered pairing up with him before they boarded the bus. She looked to Jason for a second, who looked around in confusion, but astonishment at the sight before him. He looked like a lost puppy and anyone in their right mind would try and help him in this situation. Any good, sensible, and kind person would tell him they didn't remember him, and ease his feelings and discomfort even a little bit.

Bad thing Charlie was none of those.

Turning around she waved goodbye to Leo and Jason before as always running away from her problems. Taking a light jog towards Kyle before clinging onto him as she looked down again she realized what she was doing was a pretty low move. She was a demigod, she was supposed to help people, she had a vague feeling on how Jason got here, and she knew she could explain it to him in a way that didn't make her or him seem crazy. But she was also very tired. It'd been only a few months since everything in the Titan War had gone down, she needed at least one year of peace and quiet before any commitment to saving the world.

"Don't do anything heroic or good," Charlie muttered to herself ignoring Kyle asking what erosion meant. "You don't need any more problems."

She looked up and let out a tired sigh. Above them clouds kept gathering, in hindsight it might not seem like much a problem, but everywhere except for the skywalk the sky was completely clear. That can't be good. Charlie frowned looking towards coach Hedge, he seemed to share her suspicions as he yelled, "All right, cupcakes! We may have to cut this short, so get to work! Remember, complete sentences!"

She answered one of the questions on the sheet Kyle was holding before turning to glance back up at the sky and glaring at it. Her eyes kept landing on Jason and Leo, but she willed herself to look away. Not because she wanted to help him, but because she wanted to stay far away enough to not get involved in any helping sort of business. Charlie's eye sight was pretty bad, but she could make out the golden coin Jason had pulled out from his pocket. She didn't know why he had that on him, part of her was pretty sure it might be a hidden weapon, the other part of her was yelling in annoyance.

Her and Kyle went over the questions easily, apart from a few words he couldn't pronounce, and the fact he looked constipated when he tried to write down long words Charlie said, he turned out be pretty smart himself. They were almost done when she saw Jason march over to Hedge out of the corner of her eye. Her eyes fixated on the mountains in front of her as she ignored Kyle's question on how to spell proterozoic.

She clasped her hands together as Jason reached Hedge. Please don't yell for her, please don't yell for her, please don't-

"Vos! Come here for a second!"

 _God fucking damn it._

Kyle said something about playing eye of the tiger at her funeral before Charlie marched over to Hedge ready to deck Jason. She saw some students look at her, but the second she threw a glare in their direction it looked like they were ready to pee their pants. The only thing she was supposed to being doing today was go to school, ruin two people's lives, and then go home and rewatch FRIENDS with her mother. That was it. That was supposed to be it. But nothing could ever go right for her, she couldn't get her hopes up for an easy, simple, normal day just ones. No, the universe liked her to suffer. She was going to file another complaint at this point.

Jason had appeared out of nowhere, and when Leo and Piper had said they were his friends she'd thought for a second if she tried hard enough she could easily wiggle her way out of this. Yet here she was, ready to throw him of the skywalk if it meant one day of peace and quiet.

She stopped before Hedge glaring daggers at Jason. " _What_?"

Jason stepped back slightly, Hedge on the other hand pointed his bat at Jason and asked, "Do you know this guy?"

"If I say yes can I go?" Charlie asked Hedge arms crossed. Hedge warningly swinged his bat. " _Fine_." She sighed looking Jason up and down muttering a curse in Spanish. "No, I don't know him either."

Jason's eyes widened. "You mean, neither of you know me." Jason frowned. "But you said you knew me on the bus."

"That," Charlie started, "would be called _lying_." Charlie shoved her hands into Leo's puffy jacket. "It's fun, _almost_ gets you to have one normal day."

Jason was going to say something, but Hedge beat him to it. "Look, kid, I've heard enough about this one-" He pointed at Charlie. "To know that she'd throw you of this skywalk if you were going to make problems." Hedge lifted his bat and pointed it to Jason his voice dropped to a murmur. "You got a powerful way with the Mist, kid, if you can make all these people think they know you; but you can't fool me. I've been smelling monsters for days now-"

"You've been _what_?" Charlie asked eye twitching. "Please tell me it's him so I can throw him off."

"Your mom told me it'd be better I didn't tell you about it," Hedge said. "Said if you knew you'd break your way out of the school and run fifty miles across a dessert if it kept you from getting involved." He eyes Jason. "I knew we had an infiltrator, but he doesn't smell like a monster. Smells like a half-blood. So—who are you, and where'd you come from?"

"Last words?" Charlie growled before Hedge tried whacking her with his bat missing by a centimeter..

Jason seemed slightly afraid to answer, he also looked like he thought Charlie and Hedge were mad, but he answered, "I don't know who I am. I don't have any memories. You've got to help me."

Coach Hedge studied his face like was trying to read Jason's thoughts.

"Great," Hedge muttered like it was horrible news. "You're being truthful."

Charlie stepped forward raising her fist, Hedge raised his hand. "Not yet, Vos."

"Of course I am! And what was all that about monsters and half-bloods? Are those code words or something?"

Hedge narrowed his eyes. He shared a look with Charlie who just shrugged.

"All I know is he appeared out of nowhere, and he's trouble."

Hedge raised an eyebrow. "You saying trouble as prophecy trouble?"

"I'm saying it as a pissed of girl that wants to throw him of the skywalk."

"Look, kid," Hedge said turning back to Jason, "I don't know who you are. I just know what you are, and it means trouble. I also know that the only thing stopping the angry blonde from doing anything to you is the fact she's just as confused about this as you are. Now I got to protect three of you rather than two, and make sure Vos doesn't kill you. Are you the special package? Is that it?"

Jason frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Charlie frowned as well looking at Hedge. "Special package? You mean that message from An?"

Hedge looked at the storm. Charlie followed his actions and her eye twitched again. The clouds were getting thicker and darker, hovering right over the skywalk.

"This morning," Hedge said, "I got a message from camp. They said an extraction team is on the way. They're coming to pick up a special package, but they wouldn't give me details. I thought to myself, Fine. The two I'm watching are pretty powerful, older than most. I know they're being stalked. I can smell a monster in the group. I figure that's why the camp is suddenly frantic to pick them up, figured Charlie knew and that's why she's here. But then you pop up out of nowhere. So, are you the special package?"

"No, he can't be," Charlie said. "An, would've told me if she were picking up the demigods close to where I was, she'd ask for help, I don't even think she knows I'm here to pick them up myself."

Before she could ask Jason about it thought he stumbled forward. Hedge caught him before he could fall. "Whoa, there, cupcake. You say you got no memories, huh? Fine. I'll just have to watch you, too, until the team gets here. We'll let the director figure things out."

"What director?" Jason said. "What camp?"

Charlie stepped forward helping him stand up again. "You're trying to hard to remember everything, just calm down."

"Yeah, listen to Vos, just sit tight. Reinforcements should be here soon. Hopefully nothing happens before—"

Lightning crackled overhead. The wind picked up with a vengeance. Worksheets flew into the Grand Canyon, and the entire bridge shuddered. Kids screamed, stumbling and grabbing the rails.

"And you jinxed it," Charlie muttered annoyed.

"I had to say something," Hedge grumbled. He bellowed into his megaphone: "Everyone inside! The cow says moo! Off the skywalk!"

Charlie grabbed a hold of Jason. "If it turns out this is your fault I swear, I'll give you amnesia myself you-"

"Vos! Now's not the time for threats!" Hedge yelled. "We have to get of the skywalk, you can yell later!"

Charlie let go of Jason with a glare.

"I thought you said this thing was stable!" Jason shouted over the wind.

"Under normal circumstances," Hedge agreed, "which these aren't. Come on!"


	3. CHAPTER THREE

**(** CHAPTER THREE **)**  
 ** _Fight! Fight! Fight_**

 **ONE PEACEFUL DAY.** Just one, a tiny one, that was all she'd asked for. Yet here Charlie was a mini-hurricane forming above her, the immediate danger of falling to her death very evident, and at this point in her life if it took throwing the weird guy Jason of the skywalk to make it go away? She was ready.

Students yelled in fear all trying to scramble towards the doors, hats were flying, papers were long forgotten, and a lone jacket was aggressively blowing in the wind. The mini-hurricane formed above her head and if it had not been for the glare coach Hedge had given her she'd thrown Jason of the skywalk then and there. Call it terrible, common sense, whatever Charlie wasn't stupid enough to think this sudden change in weather, and the tugging feeling in her stomach wasn't because shit was going to go down, and it was sure as hell the fault of they guy that appeared out of nowhere.

Leo almost toppled over, but before he could Charlie got a hold of his jacket together with Jason and they pulled him back.

"Thanks guys!" Leo yelled.

"Go, go, go!" said Coach Hedge.

Charlie temper finally snapped. "We're trying!"

Piper and Dylan were holding the doors open, herding the other kids inside. Piper's snowboarding jacket was flapping wildly, her dark hair all in her face. Charlie thought she might have had slight fear in her eyes, but Piper looked calm and confident as she encouraged others everything would be alright. If she lived trough this, she was definitely going to try and ask Piper out. Jason, Leo, Charlie and Coach Hedge ran toward them, but it was like running through quicksand. The wind seemed to fight them, pushing them back.

Coincidence? I think not.

Dylan and Piper pushed one more kid inside, then lost their grip on the doors. They slammed shut, closing off the skywalk. Charlie gritted her teeth as she ran towards Piper filled with determination and slight irritation. She threw her bag to the side and pulled with Piper trying to open the doors. Kids pounded on the glass, but the doors seemed to be stuck. Charlie cursed in what seemed to be two different languages.

This wasn't how she planned to die, she'd never see the new Stark Trek saga grow.

Dylan just stood there with an idiotic grin, his Cowboys jersey rippling in the wind, like he was suddenly enjoying the storm. Charlie's eye twitched in irritation. "Please just be crazy, please just be crazy."

"Dylan, help us!" Piper commanded from next to Charlie. She looked hot when angry, but not the point. "Now!"

"Sorry, Piper, Charlie," he said. "I'm done helping."

He flicked his wrist, and Piper flew backward, slamming into the doors and sliding to the skywalk deck.

"Hey!" Charlie yelled out in anger.

Before she could say something else two of Dylan's lackeys grabbed her arms and pushed her onto the ground holding her down. She trashed in their grip violently trying to break lose.

"Let go of me!" she bellowed trough the storm. "I'm five feet-" ( 4'9 ). "What am I gonna do?"

Dylan smiled at her a bit too sadistically to be a nice gesture. "Nice try, Vos. I'm not risking anything with the likes of _you_."

With that he lifted his foot.

Now, few things you should know as we pause this moment. Charlie didn't know what a square root meant to safe her life, nor could she name any of the presidents apart from Obama, and Lincoln. She was, at first sight, an stupid idiot. Granted, she kind of was, she'd never gotten a grade above a D for English, also known as a language she already speaks, nor was she really sure what was going in biology. One time to solve the problem of the trash can being full, she'd started putting it in the microwave. Life wise, Charlie didn't know what she was doing.

Fighting though? _That_ she was good at. Especially the dirty tricks.

Before Dylan could bring down his foot Charlie moved her head to the side and bit down onto the hand of one of the guys holding her down. He lifted his hand from her shoulder in shock loosening his grip on one of her hands. With the speed of light she pulled her hand out of his grip grabbed a hold of Dylan's upcoming foot and pulled it forward. Quickly the stupid looking idiot lost his balance falling backwards hardly hitting the ground of the skywalk with his back.

In shock, the other guy loosened his grip enough for Charlie to snatch her other arm out of his grip. Breath quickening she grinned like a madman as she put her now free hand onto his head grabbing a good chunk of his hair and slammed his head onto the ground, erupting a loud groan from him. She scrambled up kicking him hard in the stomach with a loud yell of frustration.

Behind her the first guy recuperated from his shock and rapped his hands around charlie from behind. Grabbing onto his hands she spun her head around and spit into his face. Momentarily grossed out and blinded the guy loosened his hold, she pushed his hands of her and punched him in the groin. He doubled over and just as you'd think she was done she grinned, and put her hands on his head putting him in place before slamming her knee into his head.

Her eyes landed on Piper a few feet away from her.

Before she could run towards her though Dylan sprung up and flicked his hand harshly.

A new bust of wind pushed Charlie backwards, she skidded over the skywalk like a rock thrown onto the ocean before landing in front of the tree boys. Face onto the ground, knuckled aching, and an acute pain in her knee.

"Charlie!" a voice sounded above her, probably Leo. "Are you okay?!"

A set of hands rolled her over onto her back and she opened her eyes before letting out a loud groan. "Ugh. No, I'm death, leave me alone."

"She's fine," Hedge spoke up readying his bat. "She's had worse than that believe me, she'll be fine."

"Didn't you see her fight!" Leo yelled over the wind. "What-How did- Where did you learn that?!"

"Jason, Leo, stay behind me," the coach ordered. "This is my fight. I should've known that was our monster." - He looked down at Charlie who hadn't made the effort to move up. "Vos, you protect them."

Charlie closed her eyes again. "Can't I'm death."

"What?" Leo demanded. A rogue worksheet slapped him in the face. "What monster?"

Charlie opened one of her eyes to look up at coach Hedge. The coach's cap blew off, and sticking up above his curly hair were two bumps—like the knots cartoon characters get when they're bonked on the head. Coach Hedge lifted his baseball bat—but it wasn't a regular bat anymore. Somehow it had changed into a crudely shaped tree-branch club, with twigs and leaves still attached. In all honestly, Charlie liked to bat better, much more fashionable, but the tree branch was also threatening.

Dylan gave him that psycho happy smile. "Oh, come on, Coach. Let those him attack me! After all, you're getting too old for this. Isn't that why they retired you to this stupid school? I've been on your team the entire season, and you didn't even know. You're losing your nose, grandpa. Vos figured it was me as soon as she saw me."

For a second his anger focused on Charlie. "You knew it was him."

Charlie sighed closing her eyes as crossed her hands onto her stomach like she was ready to be lowered into her own grave. "Thought if I ignored him he'd go away."

"This is why no one trusts you with missions," Hedge told her.

"Good," Charlie answered dryly.

Dylan laughed like he was having the time of his life. "You're losing your touch grandpa, the bitter demigod could do a better job than you."

The coach made an angry sound like an animal bleating. "That's it, cupcake. You're going down."

"You think you can protect four half-bloods at once, old man?" Dylan laughed. "Good luck."

Dylan pointed at Leo, and a funnel cloud materialized around him. Charlie shot up from the ground. She was too slow. Leo flew off the skywalk like he'd been tossed. Somehow he managed to twist in midair, and slammed sideways into the canyon wall. He skidded, clawing furiously for any handhold. Finally, he grabbed a thin ledge about fifty feet below the skywalk and hung there by his fingertips.

Charlie scrambled up completely heart racing.

"Leo!" Charlie yelled out, "You okay?!"

"I'm dangling to my death, help!" he yelled up at them. "Rope, please? Bungee cord? Something?"

Charlie leaned over the railing seeing Leo dangle at the side made her stomach drop. "Hang on, Leo! We'll get you!"

"Please be quick about it!"

Coach Hedge cursed and tossed Jason his club. "I don't know who you are, kid, but I hope you're good."- he stabbed a thumb at Dylan - "while I get Leo. Vos, you help him."

Charlie gritted her teeth looking at Dylan and his lackeys, before looking Hedge death in the eye and saying, "Can't I'm still death."

"Get him how?" Jason demanded ignoring Charlie. "You going to fly?"

"Not fly. Climb." Hedge kicked off his shoes.

Jason stared at his feet, well, hooves to be exact. "You're a faun," Jason said.

"Satyr," Charlie corrected still looking down at Leo in concern. "Fauns are Roman and a little useless compared to Satyrs."

"I thought you were death," Hedge said annoyed.

"I'm passing on my wisdom from beyond the grave."

Hedge muttered something before pointing down at the skywalk then at her, before he slid his finger over his throat. "Don't destroy the skywalk."

"Your threats mean nothing."

Hedge ignored her and leaped over the railing. He sailed toward the canyon wall and hit hooves first. He bounded down the cliff with impossible agility, finding footholds no bigger than postage stamps, dodging whirlwinds that tried to attack him as he picked his way toward Leo.

"Isn't that cute!" Dylan turned toward Jason. "Now it's the turn of the demigods."

"Demigod," Charlie corrected looking up. "I'm already death."

Jason looked at her bewildered. "You're not even going to help me are you."

Charlie blinked. "No."

Jason looked like he wanted to say something, but focused on his immediate problem. Dylan was still standing there with his stupid grin. Jason threw the club. It seemed useless with the winds so strong, but the club flew right at Dylan, even curving when he tried to dodge, and smacked him on the head so hard he fell to his knees.

"Nice one," Charlie said. "The ghost is impressed."

Piper wasn't as dazed as she appeared. Her fingers closed around the club when it rolled next to her, but before she could use it, Dylan rose. Blood—golden blood—trickled from his forehead.

"Nice try, boy." He glared at Jason. "But you'll have to do better."

"Golden blood," Charlie muttered to herself annoyed, "That's just great, isn't it?"

The skywalk shuddered. Hairline fractures appeared in the glass. Inside the museum, kids stopped banging on the doors. They backed away, watching in terror. Charlie pointed at Dylan. "You gotta stop him! If he destroys this thing Hedge'll blame me!"

Jason stared at her ridiculed. "That's what you're worried about?!"

Dylan's body dissolved into smoke, as if his molecules were coming unglued. He had the same face, the same brilliant white smile, but his whole form was suddenly composed of swirling black vapor, his eyes like electrical sparks in a living storm cloud. He sprouted black smoky wings and rose above the skywalk.

He looked like an evil angel with a stupid face.

"You're a ventus," Jason said, though he had no idea how he knew that word. "A storm spirit."

" Anemoi Thuela? Tuulai? Anmo- Whatever ventus is Roman," Charlie corrected. "Use Greek terms, you nerd."

Dylan's laugh sounded like a tornado tearing off a roof. "I'm glad I waited, demigods. Leo and Piper I've known about for weeks. Could've killed them at any time. But my mistress said a third and fourth were coming—someone special and someone dangerous. She'll reward me greatly for the death of you two!"

Charlie leaned against the railing. "That doesn't sound fun for us."

The two lackeys that had held Charlie down followed Dylan's example, their body completely dissolving. Two more funnel clouds touched down on either side of Dylan as well and turned into anemoi thuela? Tuulai? Anmo- Whatever, ghostly young men with smoky wings and eyes that flickered with lightning.

"Great," Charlie started counting the now five enemies. "It got worse."

Piper stayed down, pretending to be dazed, her hand still gripping the club. Her face was pale, but she gave Jason a determined look, and both understood the message: Keep their attention. I'll brain them from behind.

Cute, smart, _and_ violent. Charlie wished Piper wasn't head over heels for Jason.

Jason got to charge though. Dylan raised his hand, arcs of electricity running between his fingers, his eyes scanned between Jason and Charlie for a quick second before they landed on Charlie. His hand moved almost in slow motion, the crackling of electricity getting aimed right at her. Really? _She_ was the bigger threat? She was five feet (4'9), that wasn't physically possible.

"Shit!" She hit the ground hoping the electricity blast would miss her.

BANG! She heard it hit a target, she cracked open one of her eyes unsure before they widened in absolute fear.

Jason.

Charlie shot up scrambling towards Jason. His clothes were smoking, his toes were black with soot, one of his shoes was gone, and the tips of his hair were smoking. For a second she just stared at him trying to decide how to feel about this. Bitter? Maybe. Angry? Kind of. Human concern? Surprisingly, a little. That blast was supposed to hit Charlie no doubt about it, Jason, the complete idiot, had jumped in front of her like some, some-

"Gotta play hero, huh?" Charlie said bitterly putting two fingers on his neck. "Can't just be selfish like some of us."

Heartbeat.

Heartbeat?

Charlie pulled back her hand in surprise. Her eye twitched. "If what I'm thinking is true, you're going to wish that lightning hit me."

"Well," Dylan spoke up. "Guess you can't hit them all in one go."

She heard the storm spirits laughing, the wind was still raging on, Dylan started charging more electricity, and Jason was on the brink of having been death. Piper was screaming in determination, but the spirits seemed to be toying with her. She stood up and faced towards the storm eyes scanned the platform. She saw her bag where she'd left it, she'd thrown it aside when helping Piper with the doors. Her weapons should still be in there, hidden under a layer of scattered papers and one ( 1 ) pen.

Getting trough five storm spirits without any weapons. Easy.

"I swear," she started scowling, "I hate newbies."

She shot forward.

It wasn't a long distance, but five storm spirits were standing between her and a decent weapon. Two were still occupied with taunting Piper and didn't look that interested in the five feet (5'9) tall blonde charging towards them empty handed. Time almost seemed to slow down as the first one of Dylan's lackeys held out his hand to grab her. Charlie's heart quickened, her palls sweat, and a grin crossed her features. She ducked rolling forward missing his hand by an inch.

She slid on the ground before rolling back onto her feet. Dylan's second lackey seemed much more prepared and Dylan seemed ready to fire.

Perfect.

She slowed down enough for the lackey to get a hold of her, the second she felt the mist become solid to grip onto her she pulled with all her might and pushed the storm spirit in front of her right in time to get hit by the blast.

Past two, three to go.

She took a deep breath and started running. She hated doing this, but she wasn't getting to her bag any other way. She felt her stomach drop, everything slowed down, even her own movements. The electricity in Dylan's finger looked almost pretty so slow. Almost. She felt her heart jump into her throat light flashing before her eyes. For a second she was floating, brightness surrounding her. Then, she couldn't breath. She landed on her stomach gasping for air.

Coughing she grabbed for her bag taking advantage of the confused storm spirits looking at the spot she'd stood on a second ago. She opened it grabbing out two hilts without any blades attached to them, fitting perfectly in her hands. They both had initials on them, one looked a lot newer, holding the letters V.C, the other worn out one, L.C.

Charlie turned around holding on tight on the daggers as blades shot out of the hilt making a cross in front of her. The blades where the length of her forearm, the newer one seemed to be completely made out of bronze a small fox carved onto the bottom close to the hilt, the older one was another story, one half seemed to be made out of bronze if you turned it around though, you were met with iron.

Charlie grinned. "Okay, who wants-"

She felt her stomach flip upside down and she doubled over puking her lunch back up.

She wiped her mouth coughing a bit. "Note to self, body still not adjusting to going the speed of light who would've thought."

She held her blades back up, scowling, a glint in her eyes. "Alright, who wants their ass kicked first?"

Two storm spirits took their break of taunting Piper and charged at her.

Charlie let out a deep breath before grinning. She raised her left hand slashing a wound across the first ones (let's just call him Tom) chest. Twirling her right hand turned the sword before throwing it into the upcoming storm spirit turning him into dust. She raised her leg and firmly kicked her foot into the side of Tom's face. Before bringing down her dagger with both hands into his side. He scattered into dust.

The blonde picked up her dagger from the ground. She grinned spinning the dagger in her hand. "You know I want to be pissed." She got a light jump in her step. "But I always feel like Ahsoka from Star Wars doing this."

Dylan looked annoyed, but before he could say anything a voice spoke up.

"Stop," Jason croaked. He rose unsteadily to his feet.

"Great you're up," Charlie commented retracting the blades back into the hilt. "Don't say you need my help, I did my heroic deed of the year."

"How are you alive?" Dylan's form flickered. "That was enough lightning to kill twenty men!"

"My turn."

What happened next impressed even Charlie. He took out the coin and flipped it, it turned into a double edged sword. She gave a low whistle saying, "Shiny."

Dylan snarled and backed up. He looked at his two comrades and yelled, "Well? Kill him!"

The other storm spirits didn't look happy with that order, but they flew at Jason, their fingers crackling with electricity.

Jason swung at the first spirit. His blade passed through it, and the creature's smoky form disintegrated. The second spirit let loose a bolt of lightning, but Jason's blade absorbed the charge. Jason stepped in—one quick thrust, and the second storm spirit dissolved into gold powder.

Dylan readied to shoot him again, but Charlie shot forward from behind him. Sliding onto her knees her blade cut trough the side of the mist forming him, she rolled onto her shoulder, back, the tips of her toes touched the platform, and she pushed herself up with her hands.

She turned to Jason, trying to scowl, but a grin tuck onto her lips. "You owe me one, Sparks."

Dylan wailed in outrage. He looked down as if expecting his comrades to re-form, but their gold dust remains dispersed in the wind. "Impossible! Who are you, half-blood?"- He asked Jason before turning to Charlie and he grinned maniacally. "And you, I really thought for a second you'd turned into a softie, still get too excited fighting people do you?"

Piper was so stunned she dropped her club. "Jason, Charlie how ... ?"

Then Coach Hedge leaped back onto the skywalk and dumped Leo like a sack of flour.

"Spirits, fear me!" Hedge bellowed, flexing his short arms. Then he looked around and realized there was only Dylan.

"Curse it you two!" he snapped at Jason and Charlie. "Didn't you two leave some for me? I like a challenge!"

Leo got to his feet, breathing hard. He looked completely humiliated, his hands bleeding from clawing at the rocks. "Yo, Coach Supergoat, whatever you are—I just fell down the freaking Grand Canyon! Stop asking for challenges!"

"And you!" He pointed at Charlie. "Even _you_ fought?"

"Yeah," Charlie grinned pointing at Jason next to her. "I kind of like this guy, reminds me of Jackson a bit-" she lowered her voice to a mutter. "Still going to throw him of the skywalk though."

Dylan hissed at them, but Charlie could see fear in his eyes. "You have no idea how many enemies you've awakened, half-bloods. My mistress will destroy all demigods. This war you cannot win."

War. Now that word had the immediate effect of making her pissed of.

Before Charlie could do anything the storm above and made cracks into the skywalk, a vortex opened in the clouds. Charlie growled lightly under her breath. "Agh, just our luck."

"The mistress calls me back!" Dylan shouted with glee. "And you two demigods, will come with me!"

Dylan tried grabbing Jason and Charlie, but Piper saved them by lunging at him. Even if Dylan was made out of smoke Piper seemed to be able to hold on to him. They went sprawling, Jason, Leo, Charlie and coach Hedge tried to help them, but before they could Dylan let out a battle cry and the four of them landed backwards.  
Jason and coach Hedge landed on their butt, Jason's sword skidded across the glass. Leo landed on the back of his head and curled on his side. Piper got the worst as she was thrown of Dylan's back and tumbled over the side of the railing now holding on with one hand. Charlie wasn't any luckier as she shot against the railing her head harshly banging onto the glass together with her back. She felt something crack. Great.

She faintly heard Dylan yell, "I'll settle for this one!"

He grabbed Leo's arm and began to rise, towing a half-conscious Leo below him. The storm spun faster, pulling them upward like a vacuum cleaner.

"Help!" Piper yelled. "Somebody!"

Then she slipped, screaming as she fell.

"Jason, go!" Hedge yelled. "Save her!"

The coach launched himself at the spirit with some serious goat fu—lashing out with his hooves, knocking Leo free from the spirit's grasp. Leo dropped safely to the floor, but Dylan grappled the coach's arms instead. Hedge tried to head-butt him, then kicked him and called him a cupcake. They rose into the air, gaining speed.

Coach Hedge shouted down once more, "Save her! I got this!" Then the satyr and the storm spirit spiraled into the clouds and disappeared.

Jason looked utterly confused at the task, Charlie pulled herself up with holding onto the railing. She twisted her body and cried out in pain.

Jason caught a hold of her arm, worry flashing trough his eyes. "Charlie are you-"

"Piper first," Charlie started with a strained voice taking a hold of his arm, "also, I'm not even sorry."

With that she pushed him over the railing and off the skywalk.

Two things could happen, if Charlie was right to her suspicion there was a chance that in ten seconds Jason would em emerge flying in the sky carrying Piper like a blonde superman. If she was wrong, he would splatter to his death, and she wouldn't have to deal with his shit. Both were good for her.

Her eyes landed on Leo. "Shit."

Landing beside him she winced at the pain surging trough her. Two fingers on his throat she searched for a pulse letting out a breath of relief as she heard a soft steady drum. She put her hand onto his cheek examining his face, apart from a conscious he seemed to be fine physically. She scratched her head trying to think of the lessons her brother thought her, before her hands skimmed down his arms and patted down his sides. No broken bones. Which was saying more for him than her.

She turned around.

Jason was flying with Piper in his arms.

It looked like the scene had been picked straight out of superman. As soon as the two landed on the skywalk they ran towards Leo and Charlie.

"Is he okay?" Piper asked as she turned him over.

Charlie nodded her head. "No broken bones, concussion maybe."

"Stupid ... ugly ... goat," he muttered out.

Charlie let out a deep breath, grinning at Piper. "See fine."

Piper nodded, but quickly asked, "Charlie are you okay? You're bleeding."

"I'm fine." Unfortunately as she tried standing up she felt a surge of pain running trough her. "Shit."

Piper leaned forward concern flashing trough her eyes. "That doesn't _sound_ fine."

"Might've broken a rib-"

"What?!"

"Or two," Charlie finished.

"We gotta get you to a hospital!" Her eyes scanned around the platform. "Where's coach?"

Leo and Charlie both pointed straight up. "Never came down. Please tell me he didn't actually save my life."

"Twice," Jason said.

Leo groaned even louder. "What happened? The tornado guy, the gold sword, Charlie turned into light ... I hit my head. That's it, right? I'm hallucinating?"

Jason walked towards his sword flipped it and made it turn back into a coin, he put it in his back pocket. He leaned down and grabbed the hilts of Charlie's daggers before throwing them to her. She caught them with some effort blades springing out for a second before she retreated them. She shoved the hilts into her back pockets.

"Yep," Leo said. "Definitely hallucinating."

Piper shivered in her rain-soaked clothes. "Jason, those things—"

"Venti," he said. "Storm spirits."

"Hey, Greek terms," Charlie said, "I'd correct you, but I don't know how to say the Greek one. Consider yourself lucky."

Piper shook her head ignoring Charlie for a moment. "Okay. You two acted like ... like you'd seen them before. Who are you two?"

He shook his head. "That's what I've been trying to tell you. I don't know."

Piper turned to Charlie with the same look. "What about you?"

Charlie scratched the back of her head. "I was supposed to help coach with his, uh- Job."

The storm dissipated. The other kids from the Wilderness School were staring out the glass doors in horror. Security guards were working on the locks now, but they didn't seem to be having any luck.

"Coach Hedge said he had to protect four people," Jason remembered. "I think he meant us."

Charlie nodded her head. "Yeah. Some people from camp are coming, my friends." Charlie started sweating. "Who are going to kill me when they find I'm involved."

Leo looked up at her. "Sounds like kidnapping."

"Meh," Charlie started, "it is."

"And that thing Dylan turned into ..." Piper shuddered. "God, I can't believe it was hitting on me. He called us... what, demigods?"

Leo lay on his back, staring at the sky. He didn't seem anxious to get up. "Don't know what demi means," he said. "But I'm not feeling too godly. You guys feeling godly?"

Charlie smiled lightly. "It means half, as in half god. It's complicated, but one of your guys' parents the reason they're never around is because they're out there doing godly duties."

"I knew it," Leo said sniffing. "You're _too_ pretty to have liked my jokes _and_ be sane."

"Hey!" Charlie yelled.

"If it's true who's your dad?" Leo asked.

"Apollo," Charlie answered with a scowl. "Stupid sun dude, he's-"

"We need to get off this thing," Jason said cutting Charlie of, noticing the instability of the skywalk. "Maybe if we-"

"Ohhh-kay," Leo interrupted . "Look up there and tell me if those are flying horses."

Charlie thought Leo _did_ end up having a concussion, but when she looked up she knew he didn't.

"Reinforcements," he said. "Hedge told me an extraction squad was coming for us."

"Extraction squad?" Leo struggled to his feet. "That sounds painful."

"And where are they extracting us to?" Piper asked.

"Camp," Charlie said from her spot sitting on the ground, they all turned to her. "They're bringing us to camp."

Charlie watched as the chariot landed on the far end of the skywalk. The flying horses tucked in their wings and cantered nervously across the glass, as if they sensed it was near breaking. Two teenagers stood in the chariot—a tall blond girl maybe a little older than Charlie, and a bulky dude with a shaved head and a face like a pile of bricks. They both wore jeans and orange T-shirts, with shields tossed over their backs. The girl leaped off before the chariot had even finished moving. She pulled a knife and ran toward Jason's group while the bulky dude was reining in the horses.

"Your friends scary," Leo muttered helping Charlie stand back up.

"I know," Charlie whispered back.

"Where is he?" the girl demanded. Her gray eyes were fierce and a little startling.

"Where's who?" Jason asked.

"You mean Percy?" Charlie spoke up wobbling to get her balance back. "I can't believe I thought you were actually coming to get _me_ for once."

"Charlie," Annabeth spoke up eyes landing on the blonde. "You look terrible. You're here?"

"I can do a decent job at protecting," Charlie answered with grunt. "Also I broke two of my ribs."

Annabeth sighed but she didn't look surprised. "Of course you did." She stepped forward pulling a broken glass piece out of Charlie's hair, she sighed in relief giving Charlie a smile. "Glad you're okay. Don't break any more ribs."

"Don't have to ask me twice."

She laughed a little before she furrowed her brows again turning to Leo and Piper. "What about Gleeson? Where is your protector, Gleeson Hedge?"

Leo cleared his throat. "He got taken by some … tornado things."

"Venti," Jason said. "Storm spirits."

The blond girl arched an eyebrow. "You mean anemoi thuellai? That's the Greek term. Who are you, and what happened?"

Charlie noticed Jason did his best to explain everything. Charlie joined in shortly afterwards. About halfway through the story, the other guy from the chariot came over. He stood there glaring at them, his arms crossed. He had a tattoo of a rainbow on his biceps, which seemed a little unusual. Butch, a son of Iris, a big guy who'd ones thrown Charlie in the lake during capture the flag. He threw Charlie a grin.

When Jason and Charlie had finished their story, Annabeth didn't look satisfied. "No, no, no! She told me he would be here. She told me if I came here, I'd find the answer."

Charlie frowned. Annabeth really must've hoped to find Percy here, Charlie probably would be as panicked in her situation.

"Annabeth," Butch grunted. "Check it out." He pointed at Jason's feet. Charlie'd almost forgot he was still missing his left shoe, which had been blown off by the lightning. "The guy with one shoe. He's the answer. And Charlie's here."

"What do you mean Charlie's here." Charlie raised an eyebrow. "As in 'Yay, Charlie's here' or as in some god is dragging me into shit?"

Neither answered her.

"No, Butch," the girl insisted. "He can't be. I was tricked I was supposed to find him _and_ Charlie-"

"What do mean _and_ Charlie!" the blonde yelled in annoyance.

She glared at the sky as though it had done something wrong. "What do you want from me?" she screamed. "What have you done with him?"

The skywalk shuddered, and the horses whinnied urgently.

"Annabeth," said the bald dude, Butch, "we gotta leave. Let's get these three to camp and figure it out there. Those storm spirits might come back."

She fumed for a moment. "Fine." She fixed Jason with a resentful look. "We'll settle this later."

She turned on her heel and marched toward the chariot.

"Annabeth, wait!" Charlie tried running after her, but felt another pain surge shot trough her. "Motherfu- Why does this _hurt_ so much."

Butch caught her as she stumbled forward. He frowned a little. "It could've done some more damage."

"Like what?" Charlie asked annoyed.

"Puncture your long?" Butch guessed with a shrug. "I don't know you're brother will know."

"Is that why breathing's so hard?" Charlie asked, before coughing.

Butch frowned carefully picking Charlie up. "Typical." His eyes focused on Jason, Piper, and Leo. "Look, I know Annabeth's scary, but she's been looking for one of our campers, who's been missing three days," Butch said. "She's going out of her mind with worry. She hoped he'd be here. Especially since Charlie's here, she'd been missing for a week. I get you don't want to come, but we have to get Charlie to camp and get her treated."

She figured some protest, but the three nodded immediately.

They stepped towards the chariot Butch trying to keep Charlie as still as possible. Charlie quickly glanced at Jason who was walking in arm distance of her. Perfect opportunity to push him of the skywalk. He'd be too tired to really fly that much, best case scenario he broke a few bones, and she wouldn't have to deal with his shit.

They're eyes met and Jason gave her an encouraging smile. "Don't worry you'll be fine."

Charlie tried glaring at him.

Surprisingly she wouldn't regret not throwing him of the skywalk. He'd be a good friend, he'd even help her with her hopeless love life, but that's running ahead.


	4. CHAPTER FOUR

**(** CHAPTER FOUR **)**  
 **There's One (1) Major Plot Point In This**

 **THIS DAY WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO GET WORSE.** Of course at this point in time Charlie had no idea.

" _Are we there yet_ ," Charlie wined when they hit another bump. "Ugh."

Charlie looked up seated cross legged on the chariot head resting against the side. Annabeth and Butch were in the front of the chariot, Butch handling the pegasi while Annabeth made sure they didn't get lost. Leo, Piper, and the annoying guy Jason stood in the back. The three new demigods seemed to each have a different reaction to everything that had just gone down. Piper didn't seem like she was losing her mind, she looked almost dreadful to Charlie's surprise.

Jason looked calm and collected after just defeating two storm spirits and recreating a scene from superman. He still had a look of uncertainty on his face, like he knew he didn't belong with them. Charlie didn't really disagree with him, there was something about him that didn't sit right with her. People just don't appear out of nowhere with no memories and then just continue on their life without anything strange.

Leo was being annoying, but it brightened Charlie's mood.

"This is so cool!" He spit a pegasus feather out of his mouth. "Where are we going? Charlie said something about a camp?"

"A safe place," Annabeth said. "The only safe place for kids like us. Camp Half-Blood."

"Half-Blood?" Piper was immediately on guard. "Is that some kind of bad joke?"

"She means we're demigods," Jason said. "Half god, half mortal."

"Hey," Charlie got out in a horsed voice. "Look who paid attention."

Annabeth shook her head. "But, yes, demigods. My mom is Athena goddess of wisdom. Charlie's father is Apollo mostly known as the god of the sun-"

"And light, healing, music, poetry, archery, reason, prophecy," Charlie grumbled a little. "Indecisive bastard."

Ignoring Charlie's remark Annabeth continued. "And Butch here is the son of Iris, the rainbow goddess."

Leo seemed to find that amusing. "Your mom is a rainbow goddess?"

"Got a problem with that?" Butch said.

Charlie snickered. "Never gets old. Wait 'till you hear about the ponies."

Leo grinned at her, but Butch shot him a look. "No, no. Rainbows. Very macho."

"Butch is our best equestrian," Annabeth said. "He gets along great with the pegasi."

"Rainbows, ponies," Leo muttered sharing a smile with Charlie.

"I'm gonna toss you two off this chariot," Butch warned.

Charlie laughed lightly. "Sorry, Butch."

"Demigods," Piper said. "You mean you think you're ... you think we're—"

Piper didn't get to finish when lightning flashed. The chariot shuddered, and Jason yelled, "Left wheel's on fire!"

Charlie muttered something as she with some effort pulled herself up looking at the burning wheel.

"Great," she started looking at the storm spirits. "It got worse."

The wind roared. Charlie glanced behind them and saw dark shapes forming in the clouds, more storm spirits spiraling toward the chariot—except these looked more like horses than angels and Charlie didn't like them any better. Piper started to say, "Why are they—"

"Anemoi come in different shapes," Annabeth said. "Sometimes human, sometimes stallions, depending on how chaotic they are-"

"More like how annoying they are!" Charlie yelled out.

Annabeth went on, "Hold on. This is going to get rough." She glanced at Charlie. "How much of the pain is just you being dramatic."

Charlie's shoulders sagged. "About three quarters of it."

Butch grinned before he flicked the reigns. "Told you!"

The pegasi put on a burst of speed, and the chariot blurred. Her vision went black for a moment, and when it came back to normal, they were in a totally different place. A cold gray ocean stretched out to the left. Snow-covered fields, roads, and forests spread to the right. Directly below them was a green valley, like an island of springtime, rimmed with snowy hills on three sides and water to the north. You could see a cluster of buildings like ancient Greek temples, a big blue mansion, ball courts, a lake, and a climbing wall that seemed to be on fire. Camp-Halfblood.

She would've honestly enjoyed the view if their wheels hadn't come off and the chariot dropped out the sky.

Annabeth and Butch tried to maintain control. The pegasi labored to hold the chariot in a flight pattern, but they seemed exhausted from their burst of speed, and bearing the chariot and the weight of six people was just too much.

"The lake!" Annabeth yelled. "Aim for the lake!"

They neared the lake at an alarming rate and Charlie's hands clasped onto the side of the chariot for her dear life. People wonder why she's scared of heights. Honestly, maybe always falling to her death might give a pretty clear explanation. Oh, yeah. You thought this was the first time something like this had happened to her? You are gravely mistaken. She did her prayers, threw in some insults and vague threats, and begged that no one would play a cheesy song at her funeral. She faintly remembered learning something about hitting water from a great height hurts as much as hitting concrete.

And then—BOOM.

For the record. Charlie had a high pain tolerance, most of her whining was just to be dramatic and annoying. She was also secretly hoping if she whined enough no one would trust her with a quest. But she smashing onto the water, with already two broken ribs? Yeah, that _hurt_.

She felt the the cold water surround her, air leaving her lungs, her back hurting. An excruciating pain in her chest. Her eyes opened slowly to see a face leaning above her. A naiad. Th naiads weren't her biggest fans, but they also weren't really keen on the idea of Charlie dying in their beautiful lake. Her eyes closed again as all air had left her lungs, she felt hands touch her shoulders pulling her upwards. She felt the ground underneath her, the sun shinning on her face.

With that everything went black.

When her eyes opened again she was in the Apollo cabin and the sun was going down. Charlie struggled the get herself up, her head felt like it was floating while her body felt like it was falling down a never ending height. She moved her body slightly to feel she no longer felt pain shoot trough her, the pressure on her lungs also seemed to be gone. Breathing was going fine again. The headache? The headache was very much still there.

Her eyes scanned the cabin. She'd been put in her own bed. The bottom bunk in the right corner of the back of the cabin. The window close to her bunk had been opened and a mirror had been strategically placed to let sunlight fall on her. She muttered a curse as she swung her feet over the side of the bed. Scanning the cabin for someone she didn't spot anyone immediately.

Then a head popped down from the top bunk.

"You're awake."

Charlie's fist shot forward, the person dodging the hit by a centimeter. "What the hell, Austin!"

She glared at the person in front of her, her younger brother, Austin Lake. Austin jumped down from the top bunk a saxophone in his hands. Austin was, of course, taller than Charlie even though he was two years younger than her. His cornrows shaped like a double helix, and he wore his usual black blazer the orange half blood shirt clashing with his look of an eighteenth century men stepping from the deck of a whaling vessel.

He put down his saxophone on another bed before turning his head to the door. "Charlie's up!"

Almost immediately three people tumbled inside, each with a very different look on their face.

The first was Will, who seemed to be trying to glare, but failed miserable as a smile stretched across his face. He had his usual surfer aesthetic going on, a simple pair of shorts and a flannel thrown over his camp shirt. He even wore those flip flops Charlie had ones tried to throw into the Lava from the climbing wall. She didn't succeed. He had bandages rapped around his arms and was carrying some medicines most likely restocking the cabin's medicine cabinet.

The second, Kayla Knowles, her little sister looked positively pissed off. Her fists were clenched, her face was turning red, and she was scowling on a whole new level Charlie had ever seen. Kayla was one of the best archers Charlie had ever seen, and also one of the best teachers in camp. She never missed a shot, so if she chose to aim for Charlie, she was going to get Charlie. Her short ginger hair had green dye at the bottom, which kind of made her look like a carrot, something Charlie was too afraid to point out. She wore dark green cargo pants, her camp shirt tucked into it, bow slung across her shoulder one arrow in her hand. Charlie quickly prayed not to get stabbed with it.

The last person was Miles Sawyer, Charlie's favorite (don't tell the rest). He was a short boy, but still three inches taller than Charlie, he always wore a set of headphones, unbeknownst to most listening to classical music. His usual jersey was thrown over a gray hoodie, black jeans, and some gray sneakers. As always Miles looked pretty calm about the whole ordeal, Miles tended to be one of the more laid back Apollo children, and one of the only who weren't as eccentric as Charlie and Austin. Charlie appreciated someone more laid back ones in a while.

Will ran up to her quickly reaching for her arm, Charlie spotted a bandage rapped around it.

Charlie frowned as she saw a new scar on her arm as Will removed the bandages. "Huh."

"Huh!" Kayla yelled from her place at behind Will. "You didn't even notice?!" Kayla scoffed pointing her arrow at Charlie. "Of _course_ you didn't you broke three, not one, not even two. _Three_ of your ribs."

"Three?" Charlie echoed. "Really?"

If possible Kayla's face got even more red, and if it hadn't been for Austin swinging his arms around her middle she would've immediately jumped on Charlie then and there.

"Unbelievable," she declared throwing her hands in the air Austin stopping her from charging. "It's like taking care of a toddler with behavior issues and scissors."

"I'm sure," Will started jumping in between Kayla's path to Charlie, "she didn't mean to. Right, Charlie?" He threw her a look. Charlie eagerly nodded her head, and Will let out a deep breath turning to Kayla. He put his hands on her shoulder. "See?"

"Oh, great, she's not even self-aware." Kayla pulled herself out of Austin's grip. "Yeah, that makes the worrying and the concern _all_ better. Oh, look at that it's just gone, poof. Like, I dunno, _non-broken ribs_! Oh, or like _a lung_ that _didn't_ almost-"

"Hey, Kayla don't you have like, archery class to teach or something," Miles' calm voice spoke.

Kayla's steely glare skipped from Charlie to Miles. He lay lazily on the bed next to Charlie's playing with the keys of Austin's saxophone. He looked disinterested in Kayla's glare though. Although Miles neutral face made it look like he was constantly having the Wikipedia page for rope read aloud to him so that wasn't much of a surprise.

Kayla narrowed her eyes at Miles before she met eyes with Will who shrugged. "I mean, he's right."

A huff came out out of her mouth and she crossed her arms eyes skidding over Charlie before landing on the door. "Fine." She threateningly pointed the arrow in Charlie's direction. "This isn't over yet."

With that she stomped out of the cabin.

After a while Austin lazily lifted his hand grabbing his saxophone out of Mile's hands just before he could try to play it. "I have to go to, Katie paid me some good money to teach her som verses, and I want some new shoes." As he turned to walk away he waved his saxophone in Charlie's direction. "Don't die, Kayla will kill you."

Miles scrolled trough his music playlist. "Then there were three."

Will let out a light laugh, before ruining the mood by saying, "Miles you're on Charlie duty."

Miles lazily lifted up his thumb.

Charlie on the other hand shot upwards. "Wait, what?" Charlie's eyes looked between her two brothers, emphasize, _younger_ brothers. "First of all I'm the oldest-"

Miles shot a rubber band across the room. "Meh, debatable."

"I said oldest not wisest," Charlie clarified before moving, "second of all, what is this 'Charlie duty' is it because I'm autistic, because if so I'll-"

"No!" Will yelled. "No, no. That's not the reason." Will's brows furrowed. "When has that _ever_ been a reason?"

"Look I've been traveling around America okay, people are mean." Charlie crossed her arms annoyed. "Also my mom said I couldn't punch everyone that used autistic as an insult. Ridiculous."

"Aye," Miles agreed.

"See even the pirate agrees."

A pillow was thrown at her.

"It's just to be sure okay, you need to take it slow for now get outside and get some sunlight." Will placed the mirror back to it's original place.

"What am I a plant?" Charlie spat.

Will threw her a disappointing look. "You need to get your vitamin D levels back up, Charlie. You know your powers don't come out of thin air, you might be one of the most powerful child of Apollo since Asclepius, but even he had limits. You know that when you use your light powers you need more vitamin D to keep yourself healthy. The only reason you broke three ribs was because your bones were too weak." Will pulled out a new bandage to rap around her arm. "You can't never go outside and then think you can get away with pulling stunts like that without consequences. You're stubborn, we know, but we _worry_ about you too."

Will put the bandage safely around her arm again. Charlie's eyes glanced at the picture on taped to her bed, taken about three years ago when she first entered the Apollo cabin. Two of those faces she'd never see again. Lee Fletcher, and Michael Yew, both head counselors, both death. Charlie cursed herself out in French, she should've knows her siblings worried she would be next. Whatever curse may lay on the Hephaestus cabin, her cabin seemed to be dealing with it's own equally gruesome one.

"I get it," Charlie muttered. "I just- I'm sorry."

"Then let Miles hang around with you for the day," Will stated standing up. "Chiron asked me to restock and reorganize the medical cabinets in the Big House. After that I promised to check up on Jake, so I'm filled up for the day." He narrowed his eyes lip quirking up a bit. "So no near-death experiences for the day."

"When have I ever had a near-death experience in camp?" Charlie blinked, and then snorted. "Never mind, stupid question."

With that the argument closed up and Miles helped Charlie up to go take a walk outside. Their walk was quickly halted after five steps though and they decided to plop down on the bench near the hearth. For a while Miles and Charlie just chatted about their past few months apart. As it turned out Miles had gotten a new music player, and his mom, Joy Sawyer a sweet little woman with a Southern accent, had taken him to an orchestra in New York. Charlie talked about her boring three weeks of school before her mother had taken her with her for family business.

"Are you ever going to get in debt about family business," Miles whined plucking grass from her seat on the ground.

Charlie lay on her back on the bank looking up at the sky with a smirk. "Think Winchesters without the angel." Miles threw her a narrowed look. "Fine, fine. It's mostly just cleaning up after monsters and gods. You know helping mortals that were attacked, covering up things gods did, breaking some people out of mental hospitals, and my favorite, hunting down Hellhound nests, you know the usual."

"And that's _all_ you do," Miles prompted.

"Pretty much."

"Okay, but how does that even _work,_ " Miles finished perplexed. "I mean do you just tell gods _what to do_ , sounds stupid. I mean sure you would, but like I imagine your family being you know, smarter."

Charlie snorted. "Look, little brother. Not that I wouldn't love to, but you want me to explain how my entire family works? It took my mom an entire week to get me trough everything." Charlie put a hand behind her head with a sigh. "And I only keep busy with the Greeks-" Shit. "For Reckless Demigods as my mom calls it, something about comprising or whatever." Nice safe.

"Smart," Miles muttered. "I still don't get it though, isn't your family like mortal?"

"Well," Charlie started, "if we ignore my case, we usually get taught everything from a young age, fighting, Mist bending, and you know courses on everything mythical. That's like the bare minimum, from there on out it depends on your parents, and your own choices. One of my uncles keeps busy with artifacts, the real ones, keep them safe from less than desirable hands, retrieving them, if needed get rid of them. His daughters, my cousins, one of them is planning to take over from him, the other one really enjoys witchcraft, she keeps busy with those things." Charlie sat up swinging her legs and planting her feet on the ground. "My mom does mostly hunting down wild monsters, and helping mortals who witnessed things. From time to time she deals with the gods, but that usually something all of us have to do."

Miles narrowed his eyes. "Dodging the question."

Charlie let out a heavy sigh. "When you turn eighteen, you get this trials. You can't talk about it so I don't really know how it goes, but there's a series of tests you have to go trough. When you pass them you get gifted heightened abilities, the basics of speed, strength, and senses, from there on out based on your results, abilities may differ, you could have faster speed, and better sight if you score high on hunting down monsters, or you may get other abilities. From there on out you-" Charlie paused, staring harshly at the landscape in front of her. "Do your job."

"Cool," Miles muttered, his eyes caught Charlie's steel look. "I'm guessing you're not a fan of the job."

Charlie huffed. "Like I said, ignoring my case. Demigods, they don't work well in my family, conflicts with our job and our parents you know. We're supposed to be this balance of peace, this unbiased judge. Kind of hard when you've got the pick on one of them.

Charlie lifted up her hands glancing at her palms for a second. A memory flashed before her eyes, but she pushed it back down promptly slamming her palms on her jeans.

"There's only been two demigods, the first demigod in my family, my great-something, I don't know, died a day before she turned eighteen. Since then the only demigod we've had in our family was one of my uncles, grandad had another affair, family drama keeps me alive sometimes. He also died a day before turning eighteen. My mom tells me that's why she tried keeping me out of this, demigod lives and guardians life, they don't mix."

Silence.

"Sucks," Miles muttered.

"Yeah."

The conversation ended, Miles tried to safe their chat talking about his mother's new girlfriend, some engineer from Mississippi with a lisp. She seemed really nice, and Miles noted she baked brownies for him every time she came by so she was growing on him. Charlie's interests didn't last though, she wanted it to, but her already terrible mood for the day had been completely drained and she grasped for a bit of positivity like one tries to grab soap after it falls into the bathtub. Miles seemed to catch onto it fast though and with a sigh he picked up his music payer and tapped once before slumping back against the front of the bench with a sigh.

Charlie, as cynical, selfish, and terrible as she may be, did care greatly for her younger siblings. Seeing them upset was perhaps one of the only things nowadays that could truly make her ache with guilt that didn't stem from her own doing. She wanted to say something. She desperately tried to come up for anything that could get her brother's mood back up, but in the end she let out a frustrated sigh, abruptly standing up.

Miles glanced at Charlie in confusion. "Charlie, where-"

"Walk," she answered. "Alone. It's just," she waved her hands around her head vaguely. " _Busy_."

Miles nodded his head, he must've caught onto the fact Charlie's day had been too busy for her to handle. No matter how loud, and annoying Charlie was still autistic, and from time to time alone time was just a must have thing. "Don't die. I'll see you at dinner."

Charlie let out a noise of agreement and strutted of.

She walked aimlessly around camp for a few hours, at one point she'd ran into the Stoll brothers. Travis and Conner, her old prankster buddies, after everything that had gone down months ago Charlie was barely at camp anymore so planning some genius plan to put tin foil on everything in the Big House wasn't really an option. They'd caught her on to their new plan to illegally sell outside items to campers, she'd gladly put her money on the business. At one point she'd stopped by the Hecate cabin for personal business subtly shoving some money to Lou Ellen, a daughter of Hecate with neon colored hair, before quickly continuing her walk.

The only interaction she had after that was getting a volleyball slammed against the back of her head, after that, surprisingly, no one bothered her as she plopped down on a bench near the strawberry fields.

Charlie had a love-hate relationship with alone time, at one point alone time was a need for her, without it she probably would be out cold every night. Alone time, for Charlie, was really boring though. She liked being around her friends, and even though there were only three that didn't tire her out with socializing, it was still so frustrating sometimes. With a huff she opened her eyes from her pretend nap and scanned her surroundings. No one around. Perfect.

She glanced behind her another time to be sure before she pulled out a small book she smuggled outside the cabin with her. She lifted her legs and sat cross legged on the bench as she opened the worn out copy of Macbeth. Her eyes scanned around one more time before her eyes promptly flew down and started reading. By now, Charlie could probably tell the entire play of Macbeth with ease, although Hamlet stayed her favorite. Charlie tried to keep her love for Shakespeare as low as possible if asked though she would recite her favorite sonnets without hesitation, but she still found the less people that knew it the better.

Why Shakespeare of all things? Charlie never knew, every since she'd been little she'd been obsessed about three things Shakespeare, space, and electricity, looking back on it, she wasn't born to be straight. Moving on.

With her headphones on her ears, the buzzing sound of outside noise dimmed down, and hands playing skimming over the pages as her eyes skimmed between the text and notes in ancient Greek Charlie's tense shoulders finally loosened and until she heard the sound of people gathering, and saw the glowing of a fire nearby signaling the time for dinner she promptly shut the book putting it back in her makeshift pocket on the inside of her jacket where she'd simply cut the fabric open to make place for items. Yeah, sounds shady, don't think too much about it.

Dinner was a blast. _Lie_.

Charlie sat at the table with her siblings, as Chiron welcomes Leo and Jason, Charlie's green eyes scanned the dining pavilion in confusion for Piper. She'd never admit it out loud, but she'd really liked the girl, which wasn't common for Charlie. Annabeth was quick to come to her rescue though, stopping by the table to whisper in Charlie's ear about how Hera had contacted Piper via Rachel, which of course had prompted the blonde to let out a loud, annoyed "What?!" almost falling backwards.

Annabeth disappeared before Charlie could ask anymore questions though, which might've been for the best. Jason sat at the Hermes table looking a little uncomfortable. Charlie made solid eye contact with the Stoll brothers and glanced between them and Jason with a solid message: 'Be nice to him'. They nodded solemnly as if they'd been honorable knights assigned a life threatening quest by the king of their country before returning to their food.

Charlie spotted Leo at the Hephaestus table, he frowned glancing up eyes meeting Charlie. For a second a grin spread across his face, Charlie thought her passing out must've scared him a bit. She gave him a quick wave before turning back to arguing with Austin about the pronunciation of GIF.

"You gave him quite a scare," Will spoke up faintly glancing from Leo to Charlie. "Both him, and the other two, the blonde guy Jason, and the girl-"

Will frowned fishing for the name before Charlie finished. "Piper." As if she'd just grown two heads her siblings all looked at her in confusion. "What?"

"Nothing," Austin started from in front of her. "It's just, no offense, but your really bad with names most of the time."

Charlie pulled a face. "I'm not that bad."

Kayla snorted before pointing at a guy sitting at the Demeter table, some tall lanky guy with thick rimmed glasses Charlie had brought to camp a few weeks ago. "What's that guy's name?"

Charlie blinked. "Darin."

"Derek," Kayla corrected from next to Austin.

"I got the first letter right," Charlie argued crossing her arms.

Wes, another one of Charlie's brothers with bright purple colored hair, turning 14 in two weeks, who had spend his day at the Aphrodite cabin and who made it his business to know everything going around camp spoke up, "Okay, what about that girl?"

He pointed to a girl Charlie had made out with a few months ago. She frowned. "Debra."

"Robin," her siblings said in unison.

Charlie made a sound before slumping in her seat. "Point?"

"Charlie you couldn't name half of these people," Austin said waving around his fork. "Unless they're your sibling or friend, you forget their name five seconds after meeting them. Remember when Miles got here, it took you a week to get his name right-"

"In my defense, the Veronica Sawyer thing was an intended joke."

Next to her Miles shoved a fry in his mouth. "A bad one."

"We just can't believe you're making friend," Wes commented gleefully.

Kayla let out a pretended gasp of surprise. "Friends! It's a miracle!"

Charlie grumbled. "They're not my friends."

"Yeah," Wes started smirking, "I mean you're obviously making heart eyes at the Theo guy-"

"Leo," Charlie corrected before slamming her hands down on table. "And I'm _not_."

Wes hummed unimpressed. "Sure, what do you think Austin?"

Austin popped another berry in his mouth. "Definitely heart eyes."

Wes turned to Kayla at his other side, "Kayla?"

"Scary old Charlie's got a crush," she noted smirking hitting a high note on crush. "How cute!"

"Will?"

Charlie looked hopeful, but Will answered, "I mean, Leo was pretty worried about you, he kept asking questions about you when I showed him around camp." Will looked up to Charlie and smirked before turning back to his salad. "You're blushing."

"Damnit!" Charlie yelled frustrated.

"Ha!" Wes said triumphantly.

"I hate all of you!" Charlie complained turning to Miles. "Miles help me out here."

Miles frowned looking ridiculed. "You're still wearing his jacket, what do you want _me_ to do?"

" _His_ jacket," Wes said looking like he'd just won the lottery. "It got better!"

Her siblings started laughing as Charlie slammed her head against the table. Charlie was about to launch across the table to punch her brother, but Will cleared his troat trying to tone down his laughter. "Okay, okay, I think you got her annoyed enough for the day Wes."

Wes looked disappointed, but went back to eating nonetheless. As her siblings slowly finished their dinner and went back to the cabin Charlie stayed behind stabbing her fries trying to get her thoughts together about Jason and Piper's interaction with Hera. Usually when Hera was involved it meant bad news for not only Charlie, but everyone else as well. The goddess didn't have demigod children to annoy with quests so she always opts for the second option and decides to bother every last half-blood with her troubles. Charlie tended to be right in the middle of those troubles _every time_ and she was so tired of it.

It wouldn't surprise her if Hera had something to do with her waking up in a bus without any memories, it would actually explain everything that had happened so far. Maybe she should visit Piper in the Big House after finishing eating? If she could ask her what Hera'd done to her, she might get the answers she wanted, but it was also the equivalent of jumping in the middle of the trouble Hera was causing. Charlie thought she should just finish of her dinner and go back to-

"In place of stabbing your fries I'd gladly eat them for you."

The corner of Charlie's mouth twitched as she put down her fork glancing up at the boy that had plopped himself before her. "I'm sure you would." She pushed her board a little forward. "Here, I'm not that hungry anyway."

Leo picked up a half destroyed fry and popped it into his mouth. His eyes scanned her over and Charlie saw a spark of concern in them.

"I'm fine now," Charlie commented. She put her arms on the table resting her head on one of her hands. "Sorry for the scare."

Leo let out a light laugh. "Piper thought you were dead for a second. The blonde girl had to calm her down."

"Annabeth," Charlie told him, she frowned lightly. "I-Uh, sorry, I guess, my whole light powers thing has some nasty side effects if I don't get enough vitamin D."

"Yeah, the guy Will, your brother right? He told me something about that," Leo answered picking up another fry, he pointed it towards Charlie with a slight grin. "He also said he wasn't surprised? You go around breaking your ribs often or something?"

Charlie snickered. "Occasionally," she started, "have to keep up my reputation of local idiot don't I?"

Partly true. Mostly Charlie was always too stubborn to admit her powers were gifted to her by her father, and in a try for rebellion she'd not only refused to use a bow, a common symbol for the god, or spend more time in the sun than necceray. Granted she knew she was being stupid, she couldn't go around using her powers, but then not take care of herself out of spite. She didn't really care anymore though. If her stupidity and stubbornness got her killed than so be it, as a demigod, and especially with a past like hers, Charlie never expected to reach the age of fourteen. Let alone make it to the day before eighteen only to die because the gods couldn't deal with someone so powerful.

Her and Leo talked for a while. She'd passed his jacket back to him and as a thank you Charlie'd shared some stories from camp and told him some more about his siblings. Leo told her some stories about the Wilderness school and the shenanigans him and Piper tended to get up to. He faintly tried to brush over losing his eyebrows once, but Charlie's insisting and admitting about the time she herself almost lost her foot in a fight with a squirrel got him to tell one of the most hilarious chain of events she'd heard in a while. Quickly afterwards Charlie tried to one up him launching into the tale about the chain of events that led to her being banned from Norway for a year and having a restraining order with one of the princes.

Leo asked about coach Hedge after their mini arm wrestling match, Charlie explained satyrs would look for demigods and keep them save from monsters until they were ready to go to camp.

"That's why I was there," Charlie explained. By now her and Leo had moved to sit next to each other on the table their feet propped onto the seats. "I was around the area, Grover, another satyr, asked me to help Hedge get you and Piper to camp tonight. Hedge was pretty sure a monster was on your tail, and Grover figured I'd be the best pick."

"You do that a lot?" Leo asked. "You know get demigods to camp."

"Ones in a while," Charlie answered popping an M&M in her mouth. "Gotta be honest though I've never gotten along so well with them as I have with you and Piper."

Leo grinned. "Surprised we were this awesome."

She laughed playing with the fabric of her camp shirt. "When you laughed at my electricity pun I knew nothing would ever be the same." A bubble of laughter rang trough the air. Charlie continued, "Usually someone from camp calls me up to do it if they know I'm close by. My mom and I travel a lot now, family business stuff." Leo raised an eyebrow, but Charlie quickly shook her head. "I'll tell you another time, I feel like you're tolerance of crazy stuff has been tested enough today. I'll tell you all about the Winchesters of the mystical world tomorrow or something."

Leo grinned. "Count me intrigued."

Charlie let out a laugh, leaning back so her back lay on the table looking up at the canopy above the dinning pavilion, flowers in full bloom even with the winter weather just outside of camp borders. "It's a story alright. My part in it is short though, only started doing it a few months ago."

Leo frowned for a second. "Nyssa told me about you going missing a few months ago too, does that have anything to do with-"

Leo fell silent at Charlie's blank stare. The blonde looked past the canopy for a second a flash of red before her eyes before shaking her head shooting forwards back in sitting position. "Long story," she grunted. "'S not a good one either. Wouldn't recommend it."

Leo nodded his head, he seemed to respect Charlie's closed of attitude to the question as he didn't ask any further questions.

Missing. Technically it wasn't the right word for it. Charlie knew Annabeth and Chiron had tried their best to create the narrative of Charlie being missing, but anyone who spend more than five minutes thinking about it would realize the details of the story didn't add up. In reality Charlie had plain and simple just run away, in shame of her acts in the war, she'd gone into hiding hoping to get all her thoughts and guilt together on her own. After two weeks she'd returned home. She never talked about those two weeks of hiding, no one pushed it out of her and she was thankful. The war had taken a bigger toll her and her mental health than she'd imagined. The revelation of her survival rate only going to her day before turning eighteen, the manipulation she'd gone trough, the things she'd done, all of it just made her want to go. Two weeks away from monsters, gods, family business, prophecies, just a little while of peace.

Charlie could feel it though, the peace was slowly disappearing over the months. Jason's arrival, the storm spirits, her odd feeling, hera's so called disappearance, all of it separately? Perhaps there was some hope. All of it at the same time? If for lack of a better expression the events on the skywalk had been the calm before the storm. Something big was brewing, and Charlie knew she was going to be part of it. Villain or hero, whatever she was now, it didn't matter. Someone like her would never just be able to wait out something like this until the end.

Luckily denial was one of her best gifts.

"Campfire's starting," Charlie noted as she looked behind her seeing campers moving towards the amphitheater. "You should go it's pretty fun, helps gets spirit up a lot."

Leo frowned lightly. "You're not coming."

Charlie turned around on her butt and jumped from the table feet landing on the ground. "Usually I either go to half of it, but it's been a long day, not really in the mood to sing cheesy camp songs."

Leo looked a little disappointed. "Right."

Charlie noticed his change of mood and thought for a second.

"Hey, here's a deal," Charlie started sticking out her hand, "you keep me out of any world saving business and I'll stay for the entire night. If you fail, you owe me fifty bucks."

Leo's grin widened clasping Charlie's hand. "Deal."

He still owned her the money.

* * *

❛ _author's note_ ❜

Miles is a new fave tbh, I've got his entire background all typed out, his mom's life down to detail, and non of you will ever know any of it because it doesn't matter for the plot, but let me tell a grade a boy, 10/10. Kind of rushed the end because it's been three weeks, and I'm really sorry, work with school, lack of inspiration, it's been a lot ya'll.


	5. CHAPTER FIVE

**(** CHAPTER FIVE **)**  
 **Knock Knock! Get The Door It's Depression**

 **NOVEMBER 23, 2008**  
 _8 months, 3 weeks, and 4 days until the Second Titan War_

 **IF CHARLIE WAS ABLE TO HATE THINGS,** she would most likely hate this place.

Mount Othrys, base of the Titans, and number one on Charlie's worst design choices list. The structure, reminding Charlie of an elegant yet dangerous tomb (morbid, but fitting), practically reached into the sky trying to reach for the stars, casting a dark intimating shadow on whoever dared to lay eyes on it. The dark clouds surrounding it, the smell of death, and the aura of pure fear it gave of made it clear this wasn't the best place for a nice picnic. Still, whoever designed it must've thought that the ghostly crows cawing hollowly still didn't get the message across of 'very evil bad place', and in an epiphany they must have decided to completely build it out of black marble, in night perhaps it could perfectly blend in with the dark sky above, like a gaping whole between the stars.

Very extra, perhaps if the blonde harbored a soul she would've appreciated it.

The inside of the palace was somehow even worse. Putting the smell of rotten corpses aside, and ignoring the hollow screams of agony from down below the floor, a pitch black marble polished so well Charlie could see her own darkened reflection in it, and the wind somehow blowing trough the endless hallways really complimented the terrible outside.

Charlie didn't bother to greet any people she passed by heading towards the main hall. She entered quickly ignoring the grunt of a monster she pushed aside. Eyes scanning the main hall she skipped over the huge black throne in which not 2 years ago Charlie had promptly thrown a knife into, the small whole still edged in the arm rest.

Her eyes moved on before she spotted Thelonius, a tall man with broad shoulders, and a stiff jaw, around his mid twenties if Charlie remembered correctly. His eyes were the color of steel, and held a steady look on it as he stared at the map hang in front of him. As Charlie neared him she noticed his brown hair was combed back and he had made an attempt in controlling his curls by binding it in a ponytail at the base of his neck. It seemed to be a desperate attempt as curls sprung out of it desperately trying to free themselves. He wore his usual military pants, the worn out green clashing against his white t-shirt.

"Thelonius," Charlie grunted when nearing him.

He didn't spare her a glance as he frowned a stern scowl on his face. "You're late, Alepou."

"I didn't want to come," Charlie stated eyes glancing at the map. "I have three gods to convince of this rebellion, I don't have time for this."

"You will make time," Thelonius stated an underlying threat in his tone. Confidently he strode to a table close to them, shoved against the wall it held several scattered papers, another map, and an abundance of books and notes. Thelonius pointed to a circle drawn on the map. "Recently we've been informed of three demigods infiltrating and stealing crucial information to our success. We've narrowed it down and they should be hiding somewhere in this area. Your job is to find them, bring us one alive, and kill the other two before they find a way out of the city. Is that clear?"

Charlie nodded. "Yes. What did they steal?"

Thelonius frowned, he opened his mouth before promptly closing it again. "It's non of your concern. You need not know any of the information about the demigods, or the objects, that's what your new acquaintance will be for."

Charlie couldn't get surprised, but for a second her brain stopped planning out the route she would take, and a struck of confusion hit her. "My _what_?"

For the slightest second Thelonius lip twitched upwards in a smirk. "Your _acquaintance_ ," he repeated with a smug undertone. "Or partner if you prefer the term. The information he holds is confidential so you will not ask questions about him or his life, do you understand."

Charlie scoffed. "Like I would to begin with."

Thelonius picked up a box from besides the table and shoved it into Charlie's hand. "One more thing," he started another smirk coming onto his face, "We presume the demigods have been informed about you, so to make sure this mission goes well you should consider putting this on to blend in better."

Charlie narrowed her eyes opening the box in hesitation, before her nose twitched upwards. Thelonius let out a breathy laugh, the sound of the last breath from a dying man, chilling. "You don't like it."

"I don't like anything," Charlie clarified his statement, she signed looking up in confusion, "Who chose this?"

Thelonius smirk widened, his amusement evident, he turned around promptly slightly craning his neck towards the short blonde looking down in confusion at the new outfit. "Your new partner."

Thelonius left and Charlie was shoved towards the stairs leading towards the rooms. After crossing the halls, and ignoring the smell of dying corpses she entered her own room. It looked like a blank slate, with the time Charlie spend in the room perhaps understandable, most her time was spend on the Andromeda, but apart from the map hung loosely on the walls, the papers on the desk, and the weapons scattered on the beds, the room looked the same as any other, no pictures, no personal items, nothing that wasn't of importance in winning this war. Charlie put the box onto her bed, scanning the weapons for a second, before letting out a heaving sigh.

Taking out the clothes she rethought her plan, nose twitching up as she was reminded of her so called new partner, no doubt another henchman that was supposed to keep an eye on her. One of the titans had explained it to her during a war council, without a soul she thought logically, completely with her head as she no longer had a heart. That meant no anger or resentment clouded her judgment, but sometimes the choices of others could be better predicted by someone who did think with their heart. Charlie didn't understand, but she didn't _need_ to, she followed orders, completed missions, and one day she would be allowed her soul back, all misery and pain removed from it. That was the arrangement.

She closed her eyes for a second, her hands pulling the clothes out of the box, she heard the words echo trough her head again. They were supposed to comfort her when she'd had her doubts about the arrangement, now though with no soul they didn't have any feeling behind them, only a meaning. Taking in a deep breath she muttered, "Do it for Luke." Before she promptly turned around and changed her clothing to her new outfit she'd been gifted.

The outfit wasn't as terrible as she'd had expected, at least her new partner had some sort of fashion sense. In hindsight she could understand the wardrobe change, wearing all black wasn't the best way to blend into a crowd of course. The outfit was comfortable enough and it would easily keep her warm in the winter weather. A thick striped sweater under a pair of black dungarees, a sleeveless olive colored puffy jacket to make sure the cold couldn't get to her, and a pair of brown winter boots wool on the top. Her partner had also included a white beanie with a black pom on top of it easily matching the sweater and able to hide her messy hair perfectly.

Perhaps, she finally admitted to herself, having a partner wouldn't be the worst idea.

She was however, quickly going to change her mind upon meeting him.

His name was Thomas. She hadn't been given a last name, and she hadn't bothered to ask for one either. He was cheery, loud, and if she'd harbored a soul, _annoying_. Since they had left for the area the demigods had been spotted in he had yet to close his mouth. At first he had gone over everything again, shared his plan - which Charlie had quickly shut down- before without being prompted telling her his life story. He'd lived with his mother, she'd died when he was young, as his father was a god he was left to fend for himself. Charlie hadn't cared why a satyr hadn't come to get him, but Thomas was happy to explain, again unprompted, how he would gladly have killed one to get back at his father.

After talking to him she'd decided he was crazy.

He might've not looked the part of crazy guy though. Thomas was turning eighteen in a week, with wavy brown hair in an undercut, dark eyes that reminded Charlie of coffee ( When she had a soul, she _hated_ coffee ) a charming if annoying smile, and a good tall build Charlie wasn't surprised by the lingering eyes of girls they passed. He had every quality of a good looking guy checked, and then doubled checked. Even his clothing wasn't as disheveled as Charlie would've hope. He wore a thick brown coat, a casual look with his navy blue sweater and white sneakers.

Charlie might've actually openly admitted that the girls had a good reason to look at him, but unfortunately he spoke.

"We're partners now, Vos," Thomas commented with chipper.

"Begrudging acquaintances," Charlie corrected eyes scanning the market place from where they said.

They'd seated themselves at a fountain now frozen thanks to the cold weather to look for the demigods. Thomas commented they should all be wearing the same purple shirt, and their safest way outside the city was trough the market. Even though he was a nuisance, he did seem to be able to blend in perfectly, and somehow also make Charlie blend in the background. His flirtatious looks to passing girls, and his comments on his grumpy little sister wanting to spend some time with him, left room for no questions and not too many looks landing on Charlie.

Thomas started talking about his old family dog again when Charlie spotted two teenagers passing trough the market matching purple shirts with faded golden logo's on them. One of them was a girl, reaching about 5'7 with pitch straight black hair cascading to just above her shoulders, her eyes the color of almonds scanned the market place with suspicion. Her hand was positioned tightly on her hip, seeming to hold onto what seemed like the hilt of a knife tucked inside the bag slung over her shoulder. The boy next to her seemed less suspicious of the surroundings, but his brown eyes franticly scanned the surroundings looking for an exit.

Charlie let out a heaving sigh putting a hand on her chin, Thomas was speaking to another girl. "It's two o'clock."

Thomas looked up eyes glinting. "It's not."

"We going at six o'clock or something?" Charlie grumbled eyes catching where the frantic boy pointed to. "You going to pull _in five minutes_ again."

Thomas grinned.

"If you really want to leave so be it." He threw the girl an apologetic look. "I'm surprised she lasted this long."

The girl let out a giggle. Charlie rolled her eyes as part of the act stomping her foot on the ground, groaning out, "Let's _go_."

Thomas gave a shrug to the girl as if to say 'What to do?' before him and Charlie stepped away from the fountain towards the directions Charlie had seen the boy point to, on the way Thomas gave her a few playful shoves and teasefull banther, and staying in character Charlie groaned. Not that it was that hard. The two slowed their pace changing their direction Thomas muttered something about a surprising detour he had found a little earlier when she was moping around head down. Charlie nodded her head catching his drift, let them walk the alley thinking they're safe than surprise them from going above. Easy enough.

The crossed the streets, before getting to a private part of an alleyway, with a jump Charlie landed onto the container shoved against the wall of the house.

"You go up," Thomas spoke up scanning the alley. "I'll go ahead, jump down behind them when I've got them in the front."

"There's only two of them," Charlie spoke pulling up the hood of her jacket and her scarf to cover her mouth. "Where's the other one?"

"Problem for later," Thomas declared cheerily. "Kill the girl, the boy will break easily, then we find-"

"No," Charlie put her hands on the wall ready to climb. "The third one will know the most info, we need them. The boy looks new, and scared. The girl's older, but too emotional, if compromised she'll pass the bag to the boy and protect him. We scare them, make the girl try to save the boy, I kill him, we use her to find the third one."

"She won't budge," Thomas interfered.

Charlie's eyes glinted, she pulled out a knife shoving it in the wall to climb easily. "I'll make her."

Thomas pulled a face at Charlie's answer. "Do you take constructive criticism?"

"No."

With that the conversation ended and Charlie climbed the building while Thomas ran up ahead.

Charlie scaled the building's wall before throwing her legs upwards safely landing on the roof. She muttered a spell under her breath, feeling the mist shift around her, and darted forwards. Her eyes quickly locked onto the two demigods still keeping a steady pace. She spotted Thomas crossing an alley almost catching up before them. Quickening her pace Charlie ducked behind a chimney when the girl's eyes glanced backwards. She waited six seconds before darting forward yet again. Her breath quickened spotting Thomas cross the last short cut, slowing down his pace to walk.

The demigods froze for a second as he came out of the alley, from her place on the roof Charlie crouched down waiting for the signal. Thomas whistled a tune sounding like the main theme of the shining. Fitting, if not a bit weird. He gave the demigods a friendly wave when entering the alley, for a second they relaxed before her grinned pulling out a knife from his other pocket. The two demigod's looked down the alley for an escape root, before glancing backwards. The girl growled in frustration, hand on her bag as the boy whimpered next to her.

"Timothy," the girl said softly. "It's okay, everything's going to be fine."

"It's really not," Thomas interjected with faked sympathy.

The girl glared, her hand pulling out the own knife from the bag, before passing it to Timothy. She looked him in the eye. "Run."

Bingo.

As the girl let out a battle cry and ran for Thomas, Charlie swung herself of the building, skidding down the walls before she pushed out landing promptly on the boy.

"Sam!" he cried out as Charlie raised her knife.

Sam whipped her head around just in time to see Charlie plant the knife into the boy. "No!"

From behind her Thomas grinned grabbing a hold of her waist and planting his knife firmly against her throat. "Gotta pay attention to your surroundings, Sammy."

"Screw you, Cooper," Sam hissed staring at Charlie intensely.

Charlie removed her knife from the boy, Timothy it had seemed, and checked his body for a second. He was no older than thirteen, almost obsidian colored hair dyed with one bright purple stripe in it. His eyes lay open staring blankly towards the sky, as always she did the _thing_. She moved her hand up and closed his eyes muttering something under her breath. Thomas was fortunately to occupied taunting the girl Sam to notice her ritual. The girl, Sam looked confused as their eyes met for a brief second.

Charlie stared down at the boy, for a second her heart cried out, and she whispered, "Curse me at death's doors."

Then her face fell back into her neutral expression, and she stood up looking at Thomas. He was still taunting the girl who by now had replaced the tears in her eyes with a burning rage. Her eyes were focused on the dagger, before they scanned the alleyway she opened her mouth perhaps to scream out, but Thomas slammed his other hand onto her mouth.

"No, no," he commented. "You don't want any more _accidents_ do you."

When he pronounced the word accidents his eyes skipped to Charlie's bloodied knife. Charlie let out a sighed stuffing the knife back into it's holster hidden behind her jacket, and advanced towards the girl. Her eyes surveyed the girl, up close Charlie noticed she seemed to be the same age as Thomas, perhaps already eighteen, she had a strong build, her muscles evident even under her hoodie. Her eyes looked to Charlie for a second, fleeting over her build before landing on the small scar peeking out from under her sweater, reaching just above her collarbone.

"You," she muttered slowly. " _Miles sine anima_. You're the soldier without a soul."

"Smart as always Sammy," Thomas commented edging the knife in the girl's troat. "She's my new partner!"

"Let me go, Cooper," Sam demanded. "You-You're friends with _her_ , you're insane, she'll kill you when you're no longer useful."

Thomas' eyes glinted. "Exactly," he leaned down to whisper in Sam's ear, "so I'd cooperate. I know you're bad at it, so I'll help you out."

He pushed the knife deeper a droplet of blood dropped down Sam's neck.

"You know her," Charlie stated. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Thomas' eyes kept looking down at Sam as he answered. "Didn't know it was her, dyed her hair and everything. Sam, honestly if I didn't know better I'd think you didn't want me to recognize you."

Sam trashed in Thomas' grip. "You're crazy."

Thomas opened his mouth, but Charlie raised her hand. "Enough, we don't have time for this." Charlie's eyes landed on the girl. "Where's the last demigod?"

Sam eyes glared at her with such hatred if Charlie'd had a soul she might've stepped back in shock. "Like, I'd tell you," she spat out. "Go to the underworld, and _burn_."

Thomas sighed. "Told you we should've kept the boy alive. She's too hot heated." Thomas smirked. "I'll just kill her now."

Sam started to trash, but Charlie advanced taking a hold of Thomas' arm. "No, not yet."

"She won't talk," Thomas spoke up.

"I don't need her to talk," Charlie said, "I need her to scream."

The silence outside the city had an almost calming effect. By now the sun was setting and the city was covered in lights, the brightly lit Christmas tree was already standing proudly in the middle of the market. Even from her place on top of the hill Charlie could spot the people still roaming the streets at the late hours, parents heading home with children, couples walking along the dimming Christmas lights, the scenery combined with the cold winter wind caressing Charlie's cheeks could give a cool feeling of pure serendipity to anyone.

But of course Thomas was there to ruin it.

"Mmh," Sam hissed from under her restrains.

Charlie sighed turning her head to look at Thomas. After knocking Sam out they'd gotten out of the city and positioned themselves on the hill overlooking it. If what Thomas said was correct the last of the demigods would use the route via the hill the get out of the city because of the highway close by monsters were prohibited from hanging around the area to reduce suspicion and car crashes. An obvious choice, if not the perfect escape and enter route for enemies. For now though, there had been no sign of the last demigod, and Thomas was getting bored. He'd decided to take it out on the bound up Sam and started giving her little cuts on her body, claiming it would help with getting her to scream later on.

At first Charlie hadn't cared, now however the once in a while whimper was distracted her. "Stop it, Thomas."

"You, my partner," Thomas started pointing the bloodied knife at her from his crouched position in front of Sam, "are boring."

Charlie frowned eyes turning back to the horizon, "We need her conscious."

"You don't think _I_ know the amount of pain someone can go trough before they faint," he spoke sounding oddly offended. "Me? Torturer number one? Unbelievable. I thought we were friends."

"We're not."

Thomas pulled a face before he shoved the knife into Sam's thigh, he looked at her casually as another sound of pain muffled trough the cloth in her mouth. "Can you believe her? I thought we had something special." He stood up turning to Charlie with a pout. "Do I annoy you, is that it?"

"You can't annoy me," Charlie clarified. "I don't have a soul."

Thomas pouted. "Than why are you so mean to me."

"Because I don't give a shit about your feelings."

Thomas crossed his arms with a chuckle. "Harsh, harsh, my friend."

Charlie opened her mouth before it clamped shut catching sight of the purple shirt sported, a guy no doubt about it, his face was covered by the hood of his brown jacket. "He's here."

Charlie turned around as Thomas grinned running towards the downside of the hill. "Here we go," he said excitedly, "This'll be fun."

He shimmied down the hill quickly as Charlie crouched down to look at Sam. She was glaring daggers at the girl, but a hint of fear tried to hide behind her eyes.

The plan was simple enough, Thomas would go down and be his usual self taunting the third demigod for information, he'd have a maximum of one minute to get a good case going, then, then Charlie would make the girl, Sam, scream out in pain. The entire plan revolved around the third demigod worry for the safety of his friend. If Charlie was right the last one was the leader, and Thomas told her he was sure the boy would show worry. From worry Thomas would make anger, from anger recklessness, and from there on a simple bargain, he came with them, and Charlie would let the girl go.

Of course that would be a lie, and as soon as they got the leader Charlie would kill the girl, but those were details. The plan however had one major flaw. All of it working well depended on Charlie making the girl scream. No pain from her, nothing to exploit in the third demigod. Luckily, getting someone to scream was easy for someone like Charlie. Sam however seemed to be much stronger then Charlie had thought. When she removed the cloth from her mouth and took at Thomas' knife she might've flinched, but she bit down so hard on her lips the only noise that came out was a small hiss. No scream.

Charlie cocked her head to the side as Sam breathed heavily. "Impressive."

"I won't scream," Sam croaked out. "That's your plan right, I scream, you get what you want." She looked up eyes burning. "You'll _never_ get, Jason. I'll die before you do."

"You'll do it," Charlie stated. "People do crazy things to make pain stop."

She threw the knife to the side. Sam looked at her with suspicion.

She raised her hand to brush against the girl's cheek, Sam flinched backwards. Charlie brushed a stray hair from the girl behind her ear, cocking her head she gave Sam a soft smile, just as the girl was overtaken by confusion Charlie leaned up holding her head into place with one hand and shoving one of her finger into the cut Thomas had made seconds ago. Sam twitched violently, but her already restrained hand, tired out body, and Charlie's steely grip it didn't matter. She pressed harder making the cut deeper, blood seeping out between her fingers running down Sam's cheek.

She winced harshly, but bit onto her lip to stop the sound of pain come from her.

"Nu, uh," Charlie commented. "If you _don't_ scream, you're little friend dies anyway."

Sam trashed in Charlie grip, but the blonde pushed forward knocking the raven haired girl back onto the grass back hitting the ground harshly. The blonde climbed on top, pulling back her hand, and took a knife out from under her jacket. She twirled it around before giving Sam another large cut on her arm. Sam winced again, but glared in deviousness biting down so hard her lip bled from it. Charlie cocked her head for a second before she put the tip of her knife onto Sam's chest.

"You know," Charlie mused pressing down. "I could just scream myself. Would be a lot of a less effort."

Sam glared up gritting her teeth, she was shaking from head to toe, but her eyes said enough. She was scared of death, but she was more scared of her friend's death. Touching. If not stupid.

"How about a deal," Charlie started with faked friendliness. "I tell you a secret, and you let out a little scream." She smiled, but no emotion showed behind her eyes. She pressed the knife down and received a whimper. "Mmh, was that a yes? Great."

She leaned down holding Sam's tired trashing form in place as she whispered remembering Thomas' words on their way to the market, "Thomas _didn't_ kill her."

At first Charlie wasn't sure if it would work, she barely knew the whole story, she'd only picked up enough to see a pattern. Sick innocent girl, Thomas loosing his mind, a locked room, death little girl. All Charlie further knew that the person that found Thomas had been the one that put him on trial, almost killing him for a crime he didn't commit, snapping the last same cord inside him. Her concerns disappeared when for a second Sam's eyes widened flashing with the exact thing Charlie had predicted. Guilt. Perfect. Sparing no time, Charlie shoved the knife into Sam's heart. The girl screamed loudly.

Charlie's eyes glinted, but then she saw it, the glint of guilt and pain replaced by a spark. A spark of _hope_? Charlie's eyes widened realizing it.

Thomas got his ass kicked.

Before she could even turn around she felt someone clasp onto her shoulders and throw her backwards of off Sam.

She growled out as she planted her hands firmly on the ground before she could tumbled completely of the hill, her eyes caught sight of a knocked out Thomas at the bottom of the hill. She rolled over eyes meeting the back of the third demigod. Already running. He'd picked up Sam's body with him, even if it might slow him down, and even if she was surely death by now. Charlie was right he was a leader with a soft heart. She'd tear it out his chest _herself_.

She sprung up and ran after the boy, from behind she couldn't make out anything, his black coat covered his arms and back, the hood though had fallen of, and Charlie held her eyes on the short cut blonde hair. Sam had told her his name, but she'd forgotten it, she'd barely been paying attention to anything the girl had said to her. Nothing of importance to counting to the one minute she'd given Thomas had been filtered out. God damn it. She went into a sprint catching up to the boy, the body he carried slowing him down.

She had him. She was so close. Then the sound of thunder flashed above, and Charlie flinched violently at the sudden noise. When she opened her eyes. He was _gone_.

He got away. She'd failed her mission.

If only she'd looked up.

Krios had called for her, and it was a known fact in Mount Othrys that if Krios called for you, you fucked up. He barely even talked, so if he was willing to open his mouth it really wasn't to compliment your abilities.

"The thunder," Charlie spoke up. She stood behind him, Krios standing on a balcony looking up at the sky. "I- I _flinched_."

Krios scoffed. "Of course you did, your soul is gone, your brain does not change. Loud noises have and will still have that effect on you." Not sparing her a glance he declared, "You should've known _that_."

Charlie stared at the ground. She should have, and she did. Soul or not, your brain doesn't change because of it, Charlie wasn't scared of the thunder. Her brain acted up like it always did, she should've been prepared for the thunder.

"It came out of nowhere," she declared.

Krios scoffed again, like the pitiful excuse didn't even matter to him. It probably didn't. "What's done is done."

Charlie frowned for a second. "Then why did you call for me?"

Krios stared out to the sky, usually he reached 20 feet with ease, but for the sake of convenience he now stood at 6'1 wearing his usual pitch black armor, polished so nicely Charlie could see her disheveled reflection ricocheting back to her, stars reflecting on the armor brightly under the night sky. His black curly hair was freely out as his horn adored helmet lay abandoned on the ground by the balcony doors. His expression was stone cold as usual, but he seemed to have a softened glance hiding behind his eyes as he stared up at the night sky.

He turned around and nodded his head to a spot next to him, and grunted, "Come here for a second."

With a hesitant step Charlie walked towards him standing next to the titan. She followed his line of vision looking up at the sky above them, from where she stood Charlie could easily see more stars than she was used, especially living in New York. Charlie blinked and almost choked at the sight. Every inch of the sky was covered in stars, not the tree same ones she'd sometimes see in the darkest night of New York, but so many more. A night sky you'd only ever see in deserts or places uninhabited by humans, where no source of light from the bottom could interfere with the majestic light coming from the heavens.

"This is what it's supposed to look like," Krios grunted in spite. "In mankind's desperate attempt to shield themselves from the dark, they gave up the brightly lit night sky."

"It's-It's-" Charlie struggled to find a word. Beautiful? One needed emotions for something like that. Amazing? How would she even begin to decide what was amazing and what was not. "... Aesthetically pleasing?"

Krios made a sound in his troat that faintly sounded like a laugh. "That one I haven't heard yet."

"If it's any condolence," Charlie started still staring up at the sky, "if I still had a soul I'd have said beautiful without hesitation."

"I had no doubt you would," Krios told her. "Back before you drank Gloria you successfully named thirty constellations. Your fear for the dark and your hatred for the sun was amusing to say the least, usually mankind loves one and hates the other, I should've expected you'd fall out of that group." For a second Krios steel hard expression softened, which kind of looked weird as it made it seem as if his face was melting. "Your love for the night sky was a ... _surprise_ , to say the least."

Charlie nodded her head, before looking back up at the sky. She faintly remembered meeting Krios for the first time, just after the battle of the labyrinth. She'd still had her soul, but that night she'd been anything but calm and happy. She'd been panicky, crying, and dealing with not only the death of her brother, but the realization that she was no longer dangling between two sides. She'd betrayed her friends countless of time for her cover as a spy, but what she'd done in the labyrinth, actively helping Kronos, not listening to Percy's words, not getting back in time to warn camp. Nothing could ever make those betrayals right.

That night she'd locked the door to her room, she'd climbed out of the window and maneuvered her way to the deck of the Andromeda. She'd been such a mess, crying without stopping, her breathing ragged, she felt so many things at ones. Pain, anger, sadness, and most of all, _guilt_. _God_ , what had she done. She'd doomed her friends, people she cared about, people she'd _loved_. Was what she was doing really the right thing, Luke said it was, he'd never lie to her about something so important. He'd always protect her, he wouldn't just drag her into danger. This _had_ to be the right thing. If it wasn't, Charlie wouldn't know how to live with herself.

She'd stood there on the deck hands dangling over the railing, head looking down at the waves crashing at the side of the ship. She softly sniffled letting out another sigh raising her hand to wipe away the stray tears that kept poring down. She lifted her head looking up at the night sky lit by all the stars. She faintly remembered Lee teaching her how to use them to navigate herself if she ever got lost. Which stars she could follow to find her way back to camp, her home.

Another sob escaped her mouth.

A soft touch to her shoulder made the fourteen year old jump backwards in surprise. She glanced over her shoulder before stiffening at the person behind her. Short cut sandy blonde hair, bags under his, an athletic and muscular build, and a sneaky look like all Hermes demigod children. Perhaps someone many people would call attractive even the deep pale scar running from the bottom of his eye completely down to his chin. The thing that really caught Charlie's surprise was the eyes, no longer the golden shimmering with wrath she'd seen on him hours ago, but a deep pale blue.

Blue? Did that mean-

"Luke?" Charlie asked with a horse voice. "Is- Is it, _you_?"

He gave her a tired smile nodding his head, and without hesitation Charlie launched forward. She felt a hand put on her her head Luke's arm pulling her close letting out a tired sigh himself. "He," Luke started hesitantly, " _allowed_ me to talk to you."

He spoke allowed with an underlying tone, an underlying _meaning_. One Charlie only a year later would come to realize. Whatever he was about to tell, he'd tried in the subtlest of ways to let her know that they weren't his words. The euphoria of finally seeing her brother again though, had clouded any chance of Charlie hearing the underlying tone, let alone figure out the meaning.

She sniffed as he loosened his grip to take a look at her face, he scanned her for any injuries eyes freezing when he spotted a large bandage rapped around her arm.

"I'm fine," Charlie spoke with another sniff. "I-uh tried to help the Stolls, one of the monsters got me."

For a second Luke's eyes darkened before they almost widened in fear as if an unheard threat had just passed trough his head and he looked back at Charlie with a soft look. He pulled her in for another hug, Charlie couldn't remember the last time she'd missed someone this much. She'd been sure that after today she'd never see Luke again, she didn't understand why Kronos would let her talk to her. It would take a year until Charlie would finally realize why Kronos had given Luke the tiniest of control back. Why the titan had decided to let the blonde be consoled. Because years later Charlie would realize that if Luke hadn't consoled and talked to her that night things would've ended very differently for the girl.

A tiniest part of her would come to think, that she maybe even would've strayed back to the good side just in time.

But back then, vulnerable, and broken Kronos had not only seen an upcoming threat, but an opportunity. One to push her over the edge ones and for all.

"I'm scared," Charlie admitted clinging onto her brother.

"I know," Luke muttered. "It'll be okay, just-just give it some time."

Charlie shook her head pulling away from Luke, she looked up at him, eyes begging for an answer. "That's what you _always_ say. I can't keep going like this, Luke. Everyone back at camp, they-they _trusted_ me. They all got hurt because of _me_." Charlie felt her hands shake, her voice horse and dry. "You say they'll be fine in the end, but-but-" A sob escaped her mouth. "I'm so scared, I don't know what to do to, I-I don't want to die, and I- Just-"

"Hey, hey." Luke stepped forward without hesitance hands on Charlie's cheeks trying to dry her ongoing tears. "It's going to be okay. Charlie, you'll be fine-"

"I wanna go home," Charlie sobbed. "I wanna go back home, Luke."

She knew it sounded childish, she could barely even remember the last time she'd cried this much, but Charlie didn't know how to keep this up. This facade of a strong fighter, ready for any challenge, it sounded so stupid now. She used to think she could take on the entire world with ease, she'd been so naive back then thinking if she were to stay close to her friends and do what she thought was the right thing a solution would just present itself.

She'd thought the pain she'd gone trough, all the suffering, would make her stronger, but it hadn't. She didn't feel stronger, she didn't see the end to it, she didn't see how this suffering was supposed to help her. Sometimes suffering is just suffering, it didn't make you stronger, it didn't build character, it just hurt. She just wanted to pain to go away, why did it take so much for happiness to touch her, it wasn't _fair._ What did she have to do to finally just leave her anger and pain behind her? What did the world _want_ from her?

She looked up at Luke begging him for an answer she knew he didn't have. "I don't want to be scared anymore."

And that had been it, she'd doomed herself saying that.

Something behind Luke's eyes broke, like she'd dammed herself to hell right before her eyes. In a way she had, and she didn't even know it. He didn't want to do this. He wanted her to be safe. Not this. The voice spoke up again and he was acutely aware that he wasn't in control anymore, if he didn't do what _he_ said Charlie would mostly likely die tonight. But still between taking her soul away and make her into a perfectly compliant soldier for the titans, and her dying tonight it just felt like choosing between two evils. It wasn't supposed to be his choice.

 _Do it, or she dies tonight._

Luke sighed. "Is that really what you want?"

She looked at him tear stains on her cheeks, hesitance clear in her eyes, and with the slowest movement she nodded.

Luke gave her a broken smile. "There's a way."

And those words sealed it, in four weeks, she'd no longer have a soul.

The memory faded from her mind when she'd left Krios. That night, even without a soul Charlie still had an almost nostalgic thought for that memory. That day and the day just before she'd given up her soul, had been perhaps the most prominent choices in her life. When Luke had told her about the so called solution she'd spend the night looking at the stars, unsure, but intrigued. In a way to ease her thoughts she'd pointed out stars and constellations to herself hoping the steady activity would be able to calm her nerves.

In hindsight that hadn't been the best first impression would could give of to a titan. First a blubbering mess crying their eyes out and two hours later calmly pointing out stars to herself, surprisingly her knowledge of the night sky had left an impression on the stoic titan. Perhaps in her favor for later, especially now. Even though her mission was failed Krios hadn't given an order to kill her.

He had however given the order to kill Thomas.

She eventually found him outside sitting on the railing close by the stairs that lead down from Mouth Othrys. He was looking solemnly down at the city lights below, he looked almost serious, which was much more terrifying than his usual grin and malice in his eyes. The story he'd told her, partly she'd ignored him of course, but from what she had picked up, it wasn't the best life he'd lived.

Thomas must've spotted her from the corner of his eye, because he turned to her as she neared him. The solemn expression he'd worn seconds ago faded and he gave her a grin.

"Wow~" Thomas said upon Charlie reaching him. "The old boss _didn't_ kill you, so it's true you got a titan to have a soft spot for you? I'm impressed, Char."

Charlie frowned. "Don't call me that." She leaned onto the railing next to him. "And he doesn't have a 'soft spot' for me, I serve a good purpose. Finding someone willing to drink Gloria and put their soul in the hands of someone else is difficult enough. Finding someone who could survive the process is even harder, but if needed he'd dispose of me."

Thomas grinned. "Oh, yeah. I've heard all the stories. You really almost died, huh?"

Charlie nodded. "Your body isn't very keen on getting it's soul ripped out of it."

"I can imagine," Thomas said with a chuckle. He licked his lips, hesitating for a second before adding, "Hey, can I ask you something?"

Charlie frowned, but nodded her head. "Sure. What is it?"

"Do you know anyone named Benny?" Thomas asked.

Charlie's eyes widened lightly before she nodded answering, "Yes, I've got a cousin named Benny? Why, you know him?"

Thomas frowned slightly, something flashed behind his eyes, but it disappeared so quickly Charlie didn't bother to question it.

"Cousin," Thomas muttered under his breath, eying Charlie up and down. "Huh."

"What?" Charlie questioned not hearing him clearly.

"Nothing," Thomas answered with a grin. "I know him, bumped into him ones. He's as mopey as you are."

Charlie narrowed her eyes. "Funny," she said dryly. "I've never actually met him though. His mom, my aunt Pandora, she lives up in Canada. I've only met her ones."

There fell a steady silence between the two as they both stared down at the city below them, lights slowly turning of in houses, and the market place slowly becoming more and more deserted. Charlie was thinking of how to dispose of Thomas, if she had the capability of guilt, she'd surely feel it by now. Luckily she felt no such thing and her right hand curled around a knife hidden behind her back.

"What does it feel like?" Thomas said breaking the silence. "Not having a soul."

Charlie tilted her head thinking.

"Empty," She answered with a frown.

Thomas gave her a curious look.

"It's like there's something missing," Charlie clarified. "My body, it feels it too. Something _wrong_ with it. It's like a gaping hole just everywhere. Even my mind knows it's not right. The weirdest part, is you can't feel anything about it either. You can't be sad about, or feel _anything_ , but the emptiness."

"That's just depressing," Thomas said. "Kind of good you can't feel sad about it in that case."

"Yeah," Charlie muttered. She looked at him, "Any other questions?"

Thomas chuckled lightly.

"What was that thing you whispered?" Thomas asked her.

Charlie cocked her head to the side.

"To Timothy," Thomas clarified, "I saw you mutter something to him when you closed his eyes."

"Curse me at death's doors," Charlie told him leaning her arms on the railing. "It's from a poem."

Putting his hands on the railing Thomas asked, "What poem?"

Charlie shrugged. "I don't know, I wrote it back when I was kid. I looked it up, it didn't exist as far as I know."

"Can you tell me the full poem?"

"Let me live without the suffering of others," Charlie started closing her eyes peacefully. "Let me witness without pain all of life's wonders. Let me see the sunlight as I decent into hell." A light breeze gently swept over her shoulders, and if possible the tiniest twitch of the corner of her lip went upwards. "And curse me at death's doors, as a final farewell."

A looked flashed behind Thomas' eyes which she couldn't place, and for a second he smiled as if reminiscing an old memory. "Depressing." A light sigh left his lips. "But good."

Charlie nodded her head. "Thanks, I think."

Thomas chuckled again. "Didn't see you as the poetic type to be honest."

"I'm not," Charlie defended herself.

"Why do you so it," Thomas asked. "When you killed Timothy, why did you say it."

Charlie shrugged. "I just, I dunno. I- When I kill someone. My body, I guess trying to make it feel right again reaches out to grab their soul. For a second I just, I feel them, their feelings, their thoughts, _everything_. The last thing they feel before dying. Usually when I finish the sentence, my body let's go of their soul again. It's a goodbye, I guess."

"You know," Thomas spoke up, he grinned, for the first time his eyes glinted without malice. "You're not so bad, Charlie."

Charlie frowned pulling out her knife, she sighed. "You're wrong."

She tried to stab him, but Thomas hand shot up quickly blocking her path.

His eyes were wide with surprise, but they softened quickly. "You got ordered to kill me, huh?"

Charlie nodded, before she pushed the second knife in her right hand into Thomas' stomach unsuspecting.

He gasped out in surprise his hand loosening from Charlie's left arm. He grinned. "Rude."

Charlie pushed the knife in deeper. "I-I'm-" She frowned, why was she talking to him.

Thomas held a small smile on his lips. "It's, okay. You know-" He coughed out some blood. "I've been meaning to see Stella again, might be able to apologize to Sam now too" He stared at her for a second before saying, "I hope life's kinder to you than it was to me."

Then he slumped onto the ground lifeless as Charlie removed the knife. She looked down at him, she cocked her head to the side, for a second she felt a wave of emotions, real feelings wash over her. Hatred, happiness, and most prominent _guilt_. The face of a young girl smiling flashes before her blood slipping down her cheek, before all of it washed away, together with Thomas' soul descending down into hell. They weren't her feelings, they were his. Charlie had to admit Thomas had more complexity to him then crazy guy she'd deemed him to be.

Charlie closed her eyes, holding on to the feeling for a second, the last one they felt always lingered the longest and she frowned crouching down, closing his eyes. _Happiness_. That's, new. She stared down at him eyes closed and muttered, "Curse me at death's doors."

With that she stood up and turned around ready to leave for her next mission.


End file.
